13. Basically refusing to sign Cris Cyborg forever.
14. Lying about all the fighter’s credentials and accomplishments for UFC 1.
15. Lying about all the fighter’s credentials and accomplishments in the modern day.
16. Instant rematches when the wrong guy wins.
17. Interviewing Hulk Hogan and the Undertaker whenever they show up at events.
18. The fact that you can buy Arianny t-shirts on the UFC website.
19. Every single time when they brought a potential opponent into the cage to square off with someone who just won their fight (this is our favorite example).
20. Bringing back Tank Abbott in the early 2000′s.
To be honest, we’re not huge kickboxing fans here at CagePotato. In fact, we used to sacrifice kickboxers to high school wrestlers and BJJ blue belts in illegal challenge matches in the basement of CagePotato HQ until Johnny Law put a stop to it.
But we’re writing about this awful injury now because Tyrone Spong is still an MMA fighter (he’s 2-0 and fights for WSOF, in case you forgot) and this so closely mirrors Anderson Silva‘s (in)famous leg break that we had no choice but to post it (either that or it’s a slow news day, pick one).
On Saturday, Spong was fighting at GLORY 15 in Istanbul in a one night tournament. He bested Saulo Cavalari in the semifinals and faced Gokhan Saki in the finals. The leg break occurred only 97 seconds into the fight, when Saki checked one of Spong’s kicks. Here’s a GIF (via Zombie Prophet) in case you can’t watch the video:
To be honest, we’re not huge kickboxing fans here at CagePotato. In fact, we used to sacrifice kickboxers to high school wrestlers and BJJ blue belts in illegal challenge matches in the basement of CagePotato HQ until Johnny Law put a stop to it.
But we’re writing about this awful injury now because Tyrone Spong is still an MMA fighter (he’s 2-0 and fights for WSOF, in case you forgot) and this so closely mirrors Anderson Silva‘s (in)famous leg break that we had no choice but to post it (either that or it’s a slow news day, pick one).
On Saturday, Spong was fighting at GLORY 15 in Istanbul in a one night tournament. He bested Saulo Cavalari in the semifinals and faced Gokhan Saki in the finals. The leg break occurred only 97 seconds into the fight, when Saki checked one of Spong’s kicks. Here’s a GIF (via Zombie Prophet) in case you can’t watch the video:
This horrific leg break will actually have implications on MMA. Spong wanted to fight again in WSOF this summer. Obviously, that can’t happen now.
Watch the above video. That’s what middle class America thinks martial arts is–awkwardly flailing your limbs while concentrating your ki and shouting like you’re in labor. We must warn you though, this video is bad. You might get chest pain from laughing. Or you might get chest pain from depression at what’s become of martial arts instruction in the United States.
We don’t know the school, or the style (Taekwondon’t? You get it? OK it was lame, sorry). All we know is that it’s awful.
Watch the above video. That’s what middle class America thinks martial arts is–awkwardly flailing your limbs while concentrating your ki and shouting like you’re in labor. We must warn you though, this video is bad. You might get chest pain from laughing. Or you might get chest pain from depression at what’s become of martial arts instruction in the United States. Think about it, everyone in that room is a black belt. We know that isn’t news, but it’s still really depressing. Being able to spaz out while in a gi means you’re a certified, street-lethal ninja. Thanks, Obama.
We don’t know the school, or the style (Taekwondon’t? You get it? OK the joke was lame, sorry). All we know is that it’s awful.
On a serious note, teaching people that this kind of stuff is “self defense” is liable to get them hurt. There really should be some kind of law against this kind of crap, since people apparently can’t educate themselves when it comes to martial arts.
Anyway, if you really think you’re ready for this, then by all means, hit the play button. Just don’t say we didn’t warn you about the overpowering amounts of strip mall karate present.
If you see any video that’s good (or bad) enough to make the cut, let us know! Send it to [email protected].
We’re sure you’ve heard all about it by now, but this issue warrants covering by every MMA media outlet around.
At yesterday’s RFA 14, flyweight fighter Junior Maranhao blacked out in his corner between the fourth and fifth rounds.
Did his corner stop the fight?
No.
Did the doctor stop the fight?
No.
Did the referee stop the fight?
No.
The man fell unconscious on the floor (he was out cold) and the fight was allowed to continue. Here’s a GIF (via Zombie Prophet):
We have to stop writing such things off as part of MMA’s inherent dangers. Doctors, cornermen, and referees are there to protect the fighters, not send them into the meat grinder. This sentiment was touched on in a Deadspin article recently. We even wrote about it here on CagePotato, saying that the culture of “going out on your shield” is guaranteed to result in disaster.
Is there anything that can be done? It’s beyond CagePotato’s power to revoke licenses, but the Wyoming’s MMA commission can do that. Hopefully they see the error of their ways, lest the unthinkable happen.
Thank you for reaching out to the Board. As to your question regarding Mr. Maranhao, he was thoroughly examined by a licensed physician after he fell off his stool between the 4th and 5th round of the RFA event in Cheyenne on April 11. He was also examined by his corner men and the referee. All parties, including Mr.Maranhao, believed and stated unequivocally that Mr. Maranhao was medically safe to and capable of finishing the fight. In fact, he fought well in the last round and lost in a close split decision. He was examined by a licensed physician after the bout as well and again found to have no neurological or other medical issues of concern.
The Wyoming State Board of Mixed Martial Arts stands by our physicians and officials and has the utmost confidence in their ability to assess the medical status of Wyoming contestants. Safety is the Board’s number one priority and all necessary precautions were taken at the April 11 RFA event to ensure that Mr. Maranhao was safe to continue fighting.
Again, thank you for your interest in Wyoming MMA.
This isn’t good enough. It’s far worse than “not good enough,” in fact. I know expecting accountability from an athletic commission is asking a lot, but a fighter collapsing in his corner and being allowed to continue is criminal. Despite what the commission said, there was no thorough examination performed by the doctor. This is what MMA is like in some parts of the country, people.
To be honest, we’re a little disappointed. We wanted one of the “big three” names that get thrown around when Rousey is mentioned–Carano, Cyborg, or Holm.
Dana White met with Gina Carano recently, but apparently nothing came of it–at least nothing immediate. It’s still possible that they eventually work something out. Who knows, maybe Carano will face Rousey at the UFC’s year-end card. And while Carano getting an immediate title shot after several years of inactivity would be insane, the amount of buzz that a Carano-Rousey fight would generate is undeniable (even if the fight itself would be one-sided in favor of Rousey).
So it looks like the Rousey hype train will justifiably pick up more steam this July at UFC 175. We’re not going to officially call the fight right now to avoid a “Dewey Defeats Truman” scenario, but a Rousey win is certainly more likely. Davis just isn’t on the same level in terms of skill and raw athleticism. Remember our theory about the UFC women’s bantamweight division just being a feeder system for Rousey? Looking more true with each booking!
There were no title fights at Bellator 116, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t worth watching. The heavyweight tournament semifinals took place on the card, as well as a single welterweight tournament semifinal.
Mighty Mo shot for a single leg right out of the gate. Mo couldn’t get Volkov down, but managed to keep him pressed against the cage for the first half of the round. Volkov landed a knee to the body in the clinch, which caused Mo to back off. Then, Volkov hit a tremendous round kick to Mo’s face and knocked him out cold. He hit Mo so hard that the shockwaves made Mo’s belly fat jiggle. Easily one of the best head kick knockouts of the year so far, if not ever. Holy crap. Here’s a GIF (via @ZProphet_MMA)
Volkov, Bellator’s former heavyweight champ, will now be going to the season 10 tournament finals.
Read on to see a GIF of the most amazing, pro-wrestling inspired guillotine choke escape we’ve ever seen.
There were no title fights at Bellator 116, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t worth watching. The heavyweight tournament semifinals took place on the card, as well as a single welterweight tournament semifinal.
Mighty Mo shot for a single leg right out of the gate. Mo couldn’t get Volkov down, but managed to keep him pressed against the cage for the first half of the round. Volkov landed a knee to the body in the clinch, which caused Mo to back off. Then, Volkov hit a tremendous round kick to Mo’s face and knocked him out cold. He hit Mo so hard that the shockwaves made Mo’s belly fat jiggle. Easily one of the best head kick knockouts of the year so far, if not ever. Holy crap. Here’s a GIF (via @ZProphet_MMA)
Volkov, Bellator’s former heavyweight champ, will now be going to the season 10 tournament finals.
Coy controlled almost the entire first round via lay and pray. Eventually, McDonough managed to escape Coy’s clutches. With about a minute left, he managed to hurt Coy with an uppercut–badly. Coy was faceplanted on the mat and taking loads of punches, but the ref let it go on. Coy managed to recover and take McDonough down again by the round’s end.
The second round didn’t last long. Perhaps Coy wasn’t so composed after all. McDonough landed a hook that sent Coy to the floor. After that one punch, the fight was stopped.
Adam McDonough will be meeting the winner of Andrey Koreshkov vs. Sam Oropeza (which will take place later in the season) in the welterweight tournament finals.
After an eternity, Matyushenko vs. Beltran started (seriously it felt like an hour of shitty commercials). The first round lacked action. Both men snapped jabs. Both reached with looping hooks and, for the most part, missed by miles. Eventually (and thankfully), the feeling out process sorted itself out, and the fighters engaged with a little more zest. Neither landed anything significant, but it was more fun to watch. The rest of the first round played out like this. Each guy threw big punches but didn’t land too many.
Matyushenko hit Beltran with a stiff jab and an uppercut to start the round. The two started to get more aggressive in round two. There was close to zero technique, but at least it wasn’t a staring contest. Matyushenko backed up Beltran with a flurry and landed a few punches. Beltran countered with his own. Eventually, they started just swinging at random. They might as well have had their eyes closed, to be honest. Matyushenko shot for a takedown from 30 light years away and Beltran stuffed it with zero effort. Beltran and Matyushenko both started breathing heavy as the round ended, making their punches super-labored and slow. The fight got less fun to watch as the seconds passed.
Round 3 was much of the same, but Beltran decided to work the body instead of constantly throwing at (and missing) Matyushenko’s head. Matyushenko shot in, but Beltran reversed him. In the scramble, Beltran wound up on top in side control. He transitioned to north-south and sunk in a north-south choke, earning the submission win. Vladimir Matyushenko’s last fight ends in defeat. And Beltran will meet Alexander Volkov in the heavyweight tournament finals.
Ivanov attempted to rush Johnson and ate an uppercut. Still, he managed to successfully clinch Johnson and keep him against the cage. It didn’t take long for him to hit a single leg and drag Johnson to the floor. Ivanov dropped for a leg lock but botched it. He wound up with Johnson on top of him, hitting him. However, Johnson’s lack of grappling enabled Ivanov to rise to his feet without harm, and then even put Johnson in a guillotine. To escape, Johnson body slammed Ivanov in what was the most awesome guillotine escape I’ve ever seen (it was the closest thing to a pro wrestling body slam you’ll see in MMA–here’s the GIF, again via Zombie Prophet). But Ivanov’s superior grappling skills allowed him to turn the tide. He got back to his feet after the slam, clinched Johnson, and landed a judo throw. A few moments later, he submitted Johnson with an effortless keylock.
Here are the complete results:
Main Card
Blagoi Ivanov def. Lavar Johnson via Submission (keylock), 4:08 of round 1
Joey Beltran def. Vladimir Matyushenko via Submission (north-south choke), 3:06 of round 3
Adam Mcdonough def. Nathan Coy via KO (punches), 0:30 of round 2
Alexander Volkov def. Mighty Mo via KO (head kick), 2:44 of round 1
Preliminary Card
Brandon Halsey def. Joe Pacheco via Unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Karo Parisyan def. Ron Keslar via KO (punches), 4:05 of round 2
Rob Emerson def. Joe Taimanglo via Unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
Ricky Rainey def. Andy Murad via TKO (head kick and punches), 1:11 of round 1
Phelipe Lins def. Travis Clark via Submission (rear naked choke), 0:40 of round 1
Rodney Wallace def. Carlos Eduardo via Unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
Not Aired
Featherweight Brandon Bender vs. Mario Navarro
Middleweight Dave Vitkay vs. Keith Berry
