MMA is generally exciting. However, there is a spectrum of excitement in MMA. Many fighters are safe and methodical. We’re impressed by their talent, but they don’t always enthrall us. Certain fighters, however, showcase a sensational amount of grit an…
MMA is generally exciting. However, there is a spectrum of excitement in MMA. Many fighters are safe and methodical. We’re impressed by their talent, but they don’t always enthrall us.
Certain fighters, however, showcase a sensational amount of grit and fortitude whenever they’re locked in the Octagon. They’re not meek. They’re not cautious. Are they crazy? They evoke so much excitement that viewers howl at their televisions, devolving into monkeys intoxicated with primal passion and a thirst for carnage.
“Excitement” can’t be measured objectively. My qualifiers for excitement include daring, resilience, relentlessness and toughness. Moreover, you’ll find the men on this list simply possess the biggest cajones in the UFC.
Scope out this list, which is in no particular order, and feel free to post your thoughts below.
Light heavyweight stalwarts Lyoto “The Dragon” Machida and “Mr. Wonderful” Phil Davis will face each other on August 3 at UFC 163 in Brazil. Fans have appraised this match as a plan by the UFC to consolidate Machida’s highlight …
Light heavyweight stalwarts Lyoto “The Dragon” Machida and “Mr. Wonderful” Phil Davis will face each other on August 3 at UFC 163 in Brazil.
Fans have appraised this match as a plan by the UFC to consolidate Machida‘s highlight reel, but Davis’ chances shouldn’t be discounted.
The implications of this clash are monumental. Machida, racing his age, is mounting a final crusade for Jon Jones’ belt. A loss would thwart this quest.
Meanwhile, people will doubt Davis’ ascent into relevance until he mounts a solid performance, as he’s desperate for a career-defining moment.
With The Dragon opening as a favorite (minus-250 per 5Dimes.com), oddsmakers are favoring Machida‘s elusive, calculating tactics over Davis’ grappling acumen.
Considering Machida‘s ability to negate takedowns using movement and sumo-oriented clinch work, those odds are apt. Davis, however, isn’t a sacrificial outlet for Machida‘s glory. Perhaps Mr. Wonderful has the discipline and athleticism to duplicate the successful strategies that others have used to defeat the Brazilian.
Machida, a karate wizard, tends to ensorcel wrestlers like Davis into a frenzy. The Dragon employs feints and an arsenal of kicks to distance himself from grapplers, thereby dealing damage from a range that is safe from incoming takedown attempts.
Vexed, his foes become impatient, leading them to charge into Machida‘s trap—his straight counters.
Davis cannot plod into Machida‘s web, as did Ryan Bader and Thiago Silva. Instead, he needs to emulate those who have upset Machida‘s range in the past, like Mauricio “Shogun” Rua and Jon Jones.
Shogun was able to punish The Dragon before he could roost by intercepting his escapes with thudding leg kicks. Rua‘s adherence to smashing Machida‘s motor—his legs—reduced his opponent’s speed and agility, allowing Shogun to hone in on a gimpy Machida.
Davis could consider spamming kicks, too. Granted, Mr. Wonderful is not the Muay Thai kingpin that Shogun is, and kicking Machida isn’t a routine task. Exhausting The Dragon with leg kicks, however, is a more plausible route to Davis’ likely game plan—taking Machida down—than bull rushing him is. Machida is too well-equipped to deal with overzealous charges from grapplers.
Davis would be wise to Jones’ success against Machida, too. In Round 2, Machida wilted under the pressure of the champion’s grapple-centric approach. This outcome may have been a result of The Dragon’s failure to utilize the disciplined, long-distance probing he used to shoo Jones in Round 1.
Jones took advantage of Machida‘s errant burst of confidence by pursuing a takedown once they were in a clinch. As soon as Jones dragged him into his realm, Machida was ruined. Should Machida present any such opportunity to Davis, the American needs to capitalize with the same urgency that Jones did.
The odds against Davis are steep. The ravenous Brazilian crowd will seethe at him as they await his demise. The hometown hero, a man with a skill set tailored for beating fighters like Davis, will be confident and eager to impress his nation.
Still, a fighter of Davis’ mettle can overcome any odds. Watch for Mr. Wonderful to close the distance methodically, apply pressure when advisable and punish Machida for any strategic lapses.
The UFC has absorbed Strikeforce’s most worthy fighters, creating a plethora of savory matchmaking possibilities for fans to salivate over.One particular Strikeforce transplant, however, has fans eagerly jumping into his UFC hype train. If MMA message …
The UFC has absorbed Strikeforce’s most worthy fighters, creating a plethora of savory matchmaking possibilities for fans to salivate over.
One particular Strikeforce transplant, however, has fans eagerly jumping into his UFC hype train. If MMA message boards reflect the MMA fan community, then this man is entering the UFC on the crest of a wave of hype and enthusiasm.
I’m talking about alligator-man Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza.
I’ve tried to temper my enthusiasm, but I find myself investing great hope into Souza’s future. He owns freakish physical abilities coupled with elite skills, a combination that has led many hardcore fans to predict that “Jacare” will haunt the dreams of UFC middleweights.
The Brazilian ogre will be a terror, and there are many reasons to believe Souza will flourish and excite in the Octagon.
Scope out these reasons to be excited for “Jacare” and post your thoughts below:
UFC fans are abuzz with excitement for UFC 157’s co-main event featuring Dan Henderson and Lyoto Machida.The buzz is understandable: “The Dragon” and “Hendo” are among the most popular and exciting fighters in MMA, and the outco…
UFC fans are abuzz with excitement for UFC 157‘s co-main event featuring Dan Henderson and Lyoto Machida.
The buzz is understandable: “The Dragon” and “Hendo” are among the most popular and exciting fighters in MMA, and the outcome of their clash will leave an indelible and momentous impact on the legacy of each fighter and the future of their division.
The excitement surrounding Machida vs. Henderson, however, is tempered by the probability that their fight won’t be extremely exciting. Or will it?
Here is a breakdown of the factors that could make Henderson vs. Machida either scintillating or sucky. Feel free to post your expectations for the fight in the comments section below!
The UFC expected 2012 to be a prosperous year. Instead, 2012 has seen the UFC’s roster plagued with injuries, pay-per-view buy rates take a nose dive, and The Ultimate Fighter struggle to engender a fanbase.Thankfully, UFC 154 may provide a much-needed…
The UFC expected 2012 to be a prosperous year. Instead, 2012 has seen the UFC’s roster plagued with injuries, pay-per-view buy rates take a nose dive, and The Ultimate Fighter struggle to engender a fanbase.
Thankfully, UFC 154 may provide a much-needed boost to company stock. Did Georges St.-Pierre and Carlos Condit do enough to ensure that 154 is enticing?
In order to ensure that 154 enjoys a high buy rate, thereby defying 2012’s overall downward trend, Georges St.-Pierre and Carlos Condit could have taken great strides towards marketing the event.
They could have contrived hostilities, slinging empty salvos at one another during the 154 countdown show, a la ChaelSonnen. They didn’t. They stayed within themselves.
Conversely, they were mild-mannered and respectful. They did not generate any sense of belligerence, a model of marketing that Anderson Silva and ChaelSonnen employed to help launch UFC 148 into prolific success.
So, does mutual respect sell pay-per-views? Casual fans eat up feuds, after all, because a seemingly genuine beef makes the match more visceral. Are St.-Pierre and Condit too peaceful, when they should be hostile in order to ensure a higher buy rate?
Georges St.-Pierre does not need to implement the tactful villainy that ChaelSonnen does in order to sell pay-per-views. Unlike Sonnen, who created a whopping blip on MMA‘s radar largely through his clever mouth and not his success in the Octagon, St.-Pierre doesn’t need to run his mouth to make sales.
The clout of “Rush” is widespread: He’s a sex symbol, he’s a dominant champion, and he’s one of Canada’s favorite protagonists; a dashing hero and paragon of respect and discipline. His marketability withstands the fact that he’s become known as a conservative fighter, or even worse…a “boring” one.
UFC 154 will mark the Canadian superhero’s long-awaited return to action. How did his long layoff change him as a fighter? Will he continue to fight conservatively, or will we see the return of the exciting, bloodthirsty champion we once loved? Will Carlos Condit provide a stiff challenge?
Fight fans want to know the answers these questions, therefore 154 will be widely purchased despite the lack of tension between the long-time champion and challenger. In fact, UFC 154 provides one of the most intriguing storylines of MMA in 2012, despite the lack of star power underneath the main event.
Perhaps St.-Pierre and Condit could have manufactured a beef that would attract more casual fans to the event. That’s just not their style.
The fact remains that St.-Pierre is credited with more PPV buys than any other MMA fighter, logging 5,331,250 as per MMA Manifesto. It stands that UFC 154 won’t break that trend, and that it will be one of the most successful cards of the year.
Bushido is the way of the warrior—the way of Samurai life. Forged in feudal Japan, Bushido demands bravery and honor unto death. It’s interwoven with the fabric of martial arts. I’ve noticed that fans are quick to label MMA fighters as “war…
Bushido is the way of the warrior—the way of Samurai life. Forged in feudal Japan, Bushido demands bravery and honor unto death. It’s interwoven with the fabric of martial arts.
I’ve noticed that fans are quick to label MMA fighters as “warriors,” a delusion that fighters themselves believe. A fighter who fancies himself a “warrior” adheres to Bushido’s ancient code: Never surrender. A Samurai’s pride is swollen; he’ll never acknowledge defeat until he’s cold and limp. Neither will many mixed martial artists.
Many fighters brandish a Samurai’s spirit every time they’re locked in the Octagon. Bravery billows off of these “warriors” like smoke. They are revered as heroes, but that reverence can come at a price. Is Bushido archaic and reckless, or should we honor fighters who refuse to tap?
Guys like EnsonInoue, Chris Leben, Cheick Kongo and Urijah Faber among others have embodied Bushido. Inoue fell victim to monstrous beatdowns throughout his career, but he never submitted. Leben and Kongo have refused to tap, while Faber continued to fight Mike Brown at WEC 41 despite breaking his right hand in the middle of the fight.
Conversely, Georges St-Pierre and Mauricio Rua have each tapped to strikes, thereby shielding their health and future. Despite “giving up,” their accolades are exalted and their legacies are grand. You’ll find few objectors to the fact that Georges and “Shogun” are gushing with pride.
LyotoMachida is perhaps MMA’s most hyperbolic “warrior.” That’s partially due to his extensive training in Japanese martial arts. Inheritor of Samurai blood, Machida would “rather die than tap,” as he stated during his post-fight interview at UFC 84.
Machida supported that claim by refusing to give up after Tito Ortiz wrapped him in a triangle choke, and again when Jon Jones dropped him to the blood-soaked canvas with a guillotine choke at UFC 140.
I admire Lyoto Machida. I think his stubbornness is visceral and charming. Lyoto’s charm, however, doesn’t cloak his dangerous choices. In fact, there are severe consequences that come with refusing to tap.
Martialarts.com expounds the dangers of not tapping: blood chokes cut off cerebral blood flow (CBF). When CBF is blocked, brain tissue can be damaged or even die. Moreover, windpipe chokes compress the trachea, which can cause permanent tissue damage among a slew of other health issues. The outcome of allowing joint manipulation is obvious: Bones will shatter.
A broken bone demands time to heal. Time is a precious commodity for fighters. By discarding months of time that could be spent training and fighting, a sidelined fighter limits his career prospects and his earnings.
If a “warrior” submits to an armbar instead of permitting his arm to be snapped, he’s saving himself needless pain and months of inactivity. Alas, I’m afraid doing the sensible thing (tapping) comes at the expense of looking like a pansy.
By esteeming themselves as too honorable to submit, guys like Machida risk their careers, health and lives. Lyoto would be unable to purvey a warrior’s spirit if he was brain-dead or crippled. Grave injury is a possibility that crawls closer to reality every time MMA “warriors” refuse to submit.
Machida and his fellow Octagon “warriors” would be wise to shed the gruesome aspects of Bushido from their lives.
Light heavyweight stalwarts