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MMA: Are Honour and Respect Just Empty Buzzwords in Today’s MMA World?

There exist two competing schools of thought in defining mixed martial arts: there are those who feel that it is about honour and respect, while others think that it is about punching people in the head until they fall over. This dichotomous perspectiv…

This dichotomous perspective perhaps oversimplifies matters, but it represents two well subscribed extremes—though some fighters undoubtedly inhabit the middle.

With that said, do words like “honour” and “respect” belong in the current climate of mixed martial arts or are these concepts almost entirely without content?

We frequently hear our athletes wax lyrical about the respect they have for their opponent, yet their actions inside the cage so often contradict the image they are attempting to cultivate.

Jon Jones has something of an obsession with the martial spirit and its emphasis on honour. He discusses it ad nauseam in his interviews and presents the image of a man who is profoundly spiritual.

Unfortunately, his actions are often at odds with the perception he would like to project to the media. Let’s take his fight with Lyoto Machida as an example.

In the second round, Jones secured a modified guillotine choke and sent his opponent to sleep. Rather than release the hold gently, the 205-pound king turned his back and allowed Machida to crash face first into the canvas.

Shortly thereafter, Jones checked to make sure that his fallen foe had recovered. However, we later discovered that this only happened at the urging of Greg Jackson, who wanted his charge to “make some fans”.

Is this an example of honour and respect for one’s opponent? I’ll let you folks decide.

In the build-up to UFC 152, Jones and Belfort acted like perfect gentleman, describing each other as honourable and bonding over their shared religious beliefs.

What was the first thing that happened when they met inside the cage? Belfort attempted to kick Jones’ head clean off his shoulders, despite the fact that the champ had started the fight on all-fours.

Honour and respect? Not by any definition I am familiar with.

Any discussion of the martial spirit would feel incomplete without mentioning Anderson Silva. The long-reigning middleweight champion has long been perceived as one of the sport’s classiest ambassadors.

Silva tends to refrain from trash-talking in the build-up to his fights. Indeed, he can often be heard complimenting the skill of his upcoming opponent. However, occasionally his mask slips and he reveals a more primal nature.

I’m sure most of you remember the disastrous UFC 112 that took place in Abu Dhabi. Who could forget “The Spider’s” bizarre performance against Demian Maia, with long bouts of inactivity punctuated by the champ verbally brutalizing his less illustrious foe?

For some reason, Anderson had decided that Demian Maia—by all accounts one of the nicest people you could ever meet—had offended him deeply. He then proceeded to mock him and berate him for 25 minutes.

It was a baffling display by the pound-for-pound king, that only served to confuse those in attendance and enrage Dana White.

These high profile incidents merely scratch the surface of this conflict between perception and reality. Fighters too often pay lip service to noble martial concepts, despite the contradictory nature of their actions.

Perhaps it’s time to admit that words like “honour” and “respect” are barren of any real content in a climate dominated by cage fighters rather than mixed martial artists.

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MMA: A Practical Examination of Facial Hair and Its Role in Mixed Martial Arts

Unkempt facial hair has long been a pervasive issue in the sport of mixed martial arts. It is time for the MMA media to shine some light on a problem that has been largely ignored, while such trivialities as testosterone replacement therapy are discuss…

OK, I think I’ll dispense with the satirical rhetoric before you readers think you’ve taken a wrong turn and ended up at The Onion. However, there is a semi-serious point to be made regarding beards and their function within the sport—honestly, there is.

It occurred to me last night, as Ariel Helwani and our own Jeremy Botter lamented Kyle Kingsbury’s decision to take a lawnmower to his cartoonish beard, that MMA fans do not appreciate the advantages of entering the cage while looking like a member of ZZ Top.

As a man whose facial hair is limited to the kind of heavy stubble you’d only expect to see on a movie character battling alcoholism, I envy the ability to grow a full beard.

With that said, there is a reason why having “a beard” is considered a euphemism for possessing a granite chin: Excessive facial hair protects the most vulnerable part of a fighter’s face.

If we’re allowing men—or indeed, women who supplement their diet with sufficient quantities of testosterone—to fight while wearing the kind of beard that makes Father Christmas look like he boasts a soul patch, we might as well grant permission to follicly-challenged fighters to strap a couple of pillows to their chin.

A fighter like Roy Nelson already possesses a set of whiskers that are Homer-like—the cartoon character, not the author of the The Iliad.

Is it fair for him to then add a few layers of padding to an area of the face that already rivals the density of a diamond? I daresay even Drederick Tatum would struggle to make a dent in so robust a combination.

Don’t get me wrong, I am not for one moment suggesting that the addition of some facial hair will cure a chin that can scarcely withstand a strong breeze.

I mean, Brendan Schaub won’t start absorbing punishment like he’s Jake LaMotta just because Trevor Wittman has decided to hide his razor. However, there is no doubt that a full beard bolsters punch resistance to some degree.

Then again, Kyle Kingsbury was able to absorb so much punishment last night that I began to formulate homeopathic-like theories about recently shaven faces retaining some sort of beard memory.

I don’t expect Keith Kizer to start measuring beard length with a ruler, but common sense should at least be operative when assessing whether a beard offers some sort of competitive advantage.

In other words, if a fighter arrives at the arena looking like Tom Hanks in Cast Away, it might be a good idea to ask him to trim the edges, just in the interest of fairness.

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UFC on Fuel TV 5 Results: What Went Right for Dan Hardy

When did Dan Hardy turn into an NCAA All-American wrestler with a potent power double? OK, so that might be a slight exaggeration. Still, I think you get the point. It would appear that Dan Hardy has learned how to wrestle.The Brit put his considerable…

When did Dan Hardy turn into an NCAA All-American wrestler with a potent power double?

OK, so that might be a slight exaggeration. Still, I think you get the point. It would appear that Dan Hardy has learned how to wrestle.

The Brit put his considerable MMA skills on display in his decision victory over Amir Sadollah tonight at UFC on Fuel 5.

Before we get carried away, it’s worth pointing out that Sadollah doesn’t exactly boast BJ Penn-like takedown defence. The TUF 7 winner has been on his back more often than, well…I’ll avoid any obscene metaphors, but I think you get the picture

I said yesterday that we probably wouldn’t learn anything new about “The Outlaw” during tonight’s contest, but I may have spoken a little too soon.

While I was right not to expect the Nottingham native’s sprawl to be put to the test, we did witness a more complete game from Hardy.

It wasn’t just that he seemingly took Sadollah down at will, but rather it was the way that he mixed up his strikes with some brilliantly timed level changes.

Perhaps more impressive still was the potency of Hardy’s ground-and-pound from the guard. His elbows were highly effective—one might say Jon Jones-esque. Indeed, Sadollah’s face looked like it had been assaulted by an ice pick.

“The Outlaw’s” standup looked as sharp as one might expect. He used his angles well to counter the more linear attack of his opponent, while putting together some crisp combinations, particularly in Rounds 2 and 3.

Hardy is arguably still a touch left-hook happy at times, but one can hardly blame him for enthusiastically throwing out that powerful left paw when it lands with such frequency. Moreover, he complemented his primary weapon with some beautiful right hands.

One glaring issue is the Brit’s aversion to any sort of head movement. Although he has a formidable chin, offering a stationary target to a skilled striker not only looks bad in the judges’ eyes, but it can also lead to an early night if the opponent carries sufficient power (see: Hardy’s bout with Carlos Condit).

That issue aside, “The Outlaw” looked outstanding in his victory over Amir Sadollah tonight. We got to see the fighter that so many of us have grown to appreciate over the years, in addition to the pleasant surprise of some much-needed new wrinkles to his game.

The future looks brighter than ever for Dan Hardy.

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UFC on Fuel 5: Will Dan Hardy Ever Be a UFC Title Contender Again?

Once upon a time the premise of this article was scarcely conceivable. Four fights into his UFC career, Dan “The Outlaw” Hardy had yet to taste defeat inside the Octagon and was busy preparing for his shot at perennial pound-for-pound princ…

Once upon a time the premise of this article was scarcely conceivable.

Four fights into his UFC career, Dan “The Outlaw” Hardy had yet to taste defeat inside the Octagon and was busy preparing for his shot at perennial pound-for-pound prince and welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre.

Even after what one might charitably call a one-sided loss in the aforementioned title fight, there was cause for optimism. At just 27-years-old, the puckish Brit had time on his side and, having received generous praise for his efforts against St-Pierre, his stock was at an all-time high.

Unfortunately, Hardy did not make the best use of said time.

Rather than rounding out his skills and developing his grappling, the Nottingham native seemed much too content to hone his already potent striking game.

Even private wrestling lessons from Alexander Karelin and Dan Gable wouldn’t have aided him against Carlos Condit and the murderous left hook that left him gazing at the arena lights, but he sure could have used a little more mat time in the losses that followed, to Anthony Johnson and Chris Lytle.

Certainly, the loss to the latter was a particular low point for “The Outlaw”. He not only looked one-dimensional, but he surprised many by tapping out to a choke—something he had refused to do against GSP.

Much of the goodwill he had accrued over the years had by now been used up and fans openly questioned whether the UFC could justify keeping Hardy on the payroll after four consecutive defeats—particularly after Gerald Harris had been cut for the crime of enduring one loss in four fights.

Fortunately for the Brit, Lorenzo Fertitta is a permanent passenger on the Dan Hardy bandwagon and steadfastly refused to send him to the unemployment line—he likes guys who “war”, it would seem.

One might argue that the Zuffa boss’ decision was vindicated after “The Outlaw” starched Duane Ludwig with his trademark lead left hook at UFC 146, but the same questions remain unanswered.

How we wish we could flip to the back of the book and find out whether Hardy has learned how to remain vertical against anyone who has ever donned a singlet.

No one expects the 30-year-old to start double-legging opponents like he’s a 170-pound Brock Lesnar, but Michael Bisping has demonstrated that you can be British and still develop an effective wrestling game for MMA.

Dan Hardy’s future as a potential title contender is contingent on the extent to which he has addressed this one major weakness.

In his brief time away from the cage, how much of it has he dedicated to wrestling? We have no way knowing. What’s more, we are unlikely to find out on Saturday night.

Amir Sadollah has an excellent, easy-on-the-eye striking game, but the chances of him putting on a wrestling clinic or on a par with Jake Shields lighting up Anderson Silva on the feet: nonexistent. In other words, we probably won’t get to see Hardy show off the well-rounded game he claims to possess.

We need to see “The Outlaw” in the cage against someone like Josh Koscheck, Jon Fitch, Rick Story or even an ageing Matt Hughes in order to truly assess his progress. Indeed, pitting him against strikers will likely lead to another false dawn.

Once Dan Hardy comes face to face with an accomplished grappler, we will quickly discover whether he has developed the tools to again reach the sport’s summit.

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UFC Fight Cards: Does It Ever Make Sense to Scrap an Entire Show?

The cancellation of UFC 151 proved that the show needn’t necessarily go on. But it raises an important question: under what circumstances could it be deemed acceptable to abort an entire show? These are some harrowing times for the UFC and its fa…

The cancellation of UFC 151 proved that the show needn’t necessarily go on. But it raises an important question: under what circumstances could it be deemed acceptable to abort an entire show?

These are some harrowing times for the UFC and its fans. No longer can we argue that this is simply a passing storm. Instead, we must accept that MMA has some deep-rooted issues that must be addressed.

Until the sport’s problems are remedied, the potential for future event cancellations looms overhead. Indeed, some fans recently questioned the sense in going through with UFC 153 after it had been decimated by injuries.

I briefly considered listing all of the changes forced upon the card, but soon realized that it would be tedious and boring, both for you to read and for me to write. Suffice to say, the changes were so significant that even a portion of the MMA fanbase wanted Dana White to take the event out back and shoot it.

With a reaction so seemingly at odds with the furore surrounding the decision to cancel UFC 151, one must ask whether the UFC really should have just cut their losses.

Instinctively, it is tempting to suggest that the show must always go on unless it absolutely cannot be salvaged. People underestimate the kind of collateral damage caused by the cancellation of an entire fight card. We are not just talking about the fighters missing out on a much-needed paycheck.

One must also consider the loss of earnings for employees in general, the millions in marketing and revenue the UFC must forego, the potential economic impact that the chosen city will lose out on, not to mention disappointing the thousands of fans who have committed to attending the show.

Now, let’s weigh all that with the fans’ bellyaching over the decision to go forward with what they perceive to be a substandard fight card. They get to watch Anderson Silva take on Stephan Bonnar instead of Jose Aldo vs. Frankie Edgar.

It’s not ideal, but who can really complain when they are offered the opportunity to watch the sport’s greatest ever exponent? Knowing that I would get to witness a bonus performance from Anderson Silva went some way to alleviating my disappointment.

That aside, I have recently wondered what it would take for me to actually agree with any decision to cancel a fight card.

First of all, the event would have to undergo some major changes. And even then, a refund may be the best option.

Secondly, and more importantly, there must be problems with the venue. Think UFC 147: the United Nations came to town, leaving organizers with only one or two weeks’ notice to find a suitable substitute venue.

Thirdly, the anticipation of safety issues would be sufficient cause to cancel or postpone an event. Think this year’s US Open at Flushing Meadows.

I’m sure there are more obscure reasons I could list, but the above circumstances—perhaps in combination with each other— would be sufficient to cancel an event.

Put simply, cancelling an entire show is not something that should be taken lightly. The least of the UFC’s concerns should be whether the main event is underwhelming. That is why they deserve the lion’s share of the blame for the preposterous decision to euthanize UFC 151.

If you really think that Dana White and Co. should have taken similarly drastic action in the case of UFC 153, you either haven’t given the issue enough thought or you are too narcissistic to care about the consequences of such a decision.

Either way, in three weeks’ time I will enjoy watching Anderson Silva do what he does best.

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Jones vs. Belfort: Why You Really Can’t Miss UFC 152’s Main Event

This Saturday night’s main event at UFC 152 is not quite the Jon Jones fight we were pining for. Still, it is not without its charms. Vitor “I’ve still got some stuff in the basement” Belfort is the sentimental favourite going u…

This Saturday night’s main event at UFC 152 is not quite the Jon Jones fight we were pining for. Still, it is not without its charms.

Vitor “I’ve still got some stuff in the basement” Belfort is the sentimental favourite going up against Jon Jones, who is almost a caricature of a villain at this point. He could scarcely be more hated if he had killed Apollo Creed in an exhibition fight.

Some will say that it’s a mismatch—a middleweight going up against a natural heavyweight who defies the natural laws to make the 205-pound limit. Frankly, those people would not necessarily be wrong. There is a certain freak show vibe to the main event at the Air Canada Centre.

Look, I’m not saying that this is Fedor vs. Hong-man Choi, but it’s about as close to a freak show as the UFC has come since James Toney writhed around on his back like a capsized turtle against Randy Couture.

Dana White has struggled to justify putting this match together, opting to defend it with the kind of boisterous conviction that even a seasoned satirist would deem absurd. Then again, does he really need to defend it?

The UFC’s injury/withdrawal issues are almost legendary at this point. Who can blame it for scraping the bottom of the barrel to fill out one fight card? People look back on the Pride FC days with a kind of wistful longing, so we can forgive Dana and Co. for getting a little nutty this time.

As was alluded to earlier, this fight is far from irredeemable. MMA fans love an underdog.

They will get behind Stephan Bonnar against Anderson Silva, and you can bet that they will get behind Vitor Belfort later tonight.

Although the odds are stacked against him, it’s not as though the “Phenom” is taking a knife to a gun fight. The former heavyweight tournament champion hits like a truck.

Should he land one of those ferocious paws on Jones’ whiskers, expect the champ’s spindly legs to turn to boiled spaghetti. If they don’t, we may well wonder if “Bones” actually has a weakness.

Love him or hate him, we all love to watch Jon Jones fight. The UFC could put him in the cage with Verne Troyer and we’d still probably tune in.

As is the case with GSP and Silva, when Jon Jones headlines a fight card, it is increasingly becoming an event that transcends the sport as we perceive it day to day. We get the privilege of seeing this rare athlete compete maybe three times per year—or four if we’re talking about 2011.

Do you really need me to tell you why this fight is worthy of your time? If not for its competitive edge, then for the chance to witness a truly gifted athlete do what he does best.

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