Those familiar with pro wrestling know the terms “face” and “heel.” “Face” is short for “babyface,” which essentially means “good guy.” “Heels” are the villains, and love drawing boos from the crowd.GSP v. Koscheck is a prime example of this. Remember …
Those familiar with pro wrestling know the terms “face” and “heel.” “Face” is short for “babyface,” which essentially means “good guy.” “Heels” are the villains, and love drawing boos from the crowd.
GSP v. Koscheck is a prime example of this. Remember Koscheck heckling the crowd in Montreal after UFC 113?
“Don’t worry, Pittsburgh Penguins are going to kick your ass next week, baby…And then I’m going to beat St-Pierre, so you guys are going to lose twice, how bout that? Yeah, that’s right Montreal.”
Throughout TUF 12 Koscheck tried to bully and antagonize St-Pierre, while in return St-Pierre took the high road and didn’t let Koscheck get under his skin.
It seems like more and more main events are built up to have some sort of soap opera storyline.
UFC 145, Jones v. Evans, was a saga of betrayal and usurpation. Former friends turned against each other.
At UFC 146, Dos Santos was to avenge his mentor Minotauro Noguiera against Frank Mir, who submitted Noguiera for the first time in his career UFC 140.
UFC 147’s main event was to be Wanderlei Silva v. Vitor Belfort, to settle the rivalry that had simmered over the course of TUF Brazil.
And coming up at UFC 148, we have Anderson Silva v. Chael Sonnen. Sonnen is the closest thing we have to a pro wrestler in MMA today. His mic skills and persona are incomparable. If this fight had taken place when it was originally scheduled, at UFC 147 in Brazil, the boos would have been deafening.
Soap opera storylines help build anticipation for the fights. Part of the reason that Nick Diaz v. GSP was so intriguing was because of the animosity that was apparently shared between the two fighters. Dana White is quoted as saying, “I have never seen Georges St. Pierre hate somebody. He hates Nick Diaz.”
Then, of course, we have the guy who actually did make the leap from pro wrestler to MMA fighter. Brock Lesnar won the UFC heavyweight championship in his fourth pro MMA fight. Another former pro wrestler, Bobby Lashley, fought for a time in Strikeforce.
Most of what the two sports share are the drama and theatrics. Thankfully, the integrity of MMA is still intact. It’ll be a sad day in MMA if a fighter “jobs” (intentionally loses) to another.
Controversy goes hand in hand with MMA judging. We’ve heard it time and time again, “Don’t leave it in the hands of the judges.” Dana White stresses this point to make sure his fighters go out to win, and win decisively.So what are these judges suppose…
Controversy goes hand in hand with MMA judging. We’ve heard it time and time again, “Don’t leave it in the hands of the judges.” Dana White stresses this point to make sure his fighters go out to win, and win decisively.
So what are these judges supposed to be looking for?
A quick trip to the UFC website tells us. They should be looking for (listed in order of importance): “effective striking, effective grappling, control of the ring/fighting area, effective aggressiveness and defense.”
It’s pretty much what most MMA fans already know, and it’s really quite simple: Judges should be looking at who does the most damage and who puts themselves in the most advantageous positions.
So why does it so often seem that fans ask themselves, “What fight was that judge watching?”
It’s a given that different people will see things differently. There are also times when a fight really could go either way. Those split-decisions are more palatable. That’s not what really draws the fans’ ire.
What really irks fans is when a fighter seems to have clearly won but ends up losing on the scorecards. It’s an injustice.
One of the more controversial decisions in recent memory was Leonard Garcia vs. Nam Phan at the TUF 12 Finale. Two judges scored the bout 29-28 for Garcia, while one gave the fight to Phan 30-27. It was apparent to everyone that Phan won the fight, and the FightMetric report will attest to that.
What happened? The judges got it wrong. Two of them, no less.
Thankfully, the UFC scheduled a rematch (as is often the case with controversial decisions), and Phan avenged his “loss” at UFC 136 with an unanimous decision victory.
Dana White has voiced his displeasure over MMA judging on numerous occasions, most recently after UFC 147.
The judges are faced with an interesting predicament. Get every single decision “right,” and they’re just doing their job. Get a decision “wrong,” and they’re deemed incompetent, or worse.
Unfortunately, that’s the way it has to be. It’s their job to get it done right. They owe it to the fighters who put themselves at risk every time they step into the ring as well as the integrity of the sport.
The light-heavyweight division was a bit of an anomaly in the UFC in recent years. Other divisions saw their title-holders have long reigns, while the light-heavyweight belt seemed to always be in flux due to the depth of depth of talent in this weight…
The light-heavyweight division was a bit of an anomaly in the UFC in recent years. Other divisions saw their title-holders have long reigns, while the light-heavyweight belt seemed to always be in flux due to the depth of depth of talent in this weight class.
Light heavyweight is in many ways the premier division. It’s home to many of the sport’s biggest stars, and for good reason. Lighter weight classes tend to have more action, but the fighters have less power. Heavyweights are stronger, but their size means that they get tired more easily.
With UFC 145 in the books, it’s time to take a look back and see where Jon Jones, the UFC’s most recent champion, ranks among the greats.
It’s been a few weeks since both TUF Live and TUF Brazil went on the air, and I think it’s fair to ask: which is more entertaining?I had high hopes for TUF Brazil since hearing about it, but I’ve been a little disappointed by it thus far. I was really …
It’s been a few weeks since both TUF Live and TUF Brazil went on the air, and I think it’s fair to ask: which is more entertaining?
I had high hopes for TUF Brazil since hearing about it, but I’ve been a little disappointed by it thus far. I was really expecting the change of setting to add a new dimension to the show, but it’s more or less the same as its American counterpart.
In some ways it feels very introductory, such as when weight classes and rules are explained. This makes sense, however, as this is the first season in Brazil, and for some Brazilians, perhaps their very first introduction to the UFC.
It’s a pretty standard season so far, and the fights have been okay. “Gaspar” is the usual clown of the season—what Chris Tickle is to TUF Live. Very similar to Chris Leben, Junie Browning and Alex Caceres from past seasons.
Perhaps a trivial matter, but I do like how the Brazilian fighters integrate their nicknames into their names, like Hugo Wolverine, Rony Jason, and the fighter who simply goes by his nickname “Massaranduba.” It adds personality, and it simply works in Brazil. It would be lame to see a fighter in the U.S. adopt the name “Jason” and wear the “Jason” mask to fights.
One minor gripe is the TUF Brazil advertisement placement. Products are prominently featured throughout the show—even more so than in the U.S. version. It’s downright weird to see Wanderlei shaving his arms as an advertisement for shaving cream, or seeing him passing out protein bars to his team and then showing them eating it.
TUF Live, on the other hand, has been a pleasant surprise. The live format throws a wrench into the standard formula, and after 14 seasons, the change is welcome. Both the fights and the fighters have been memorable. We’ve consistently seen early finishes to fights, and Justin Lawrence seems like a star in the making. I do feel that this season was a little front-loaded, however, as we’ve seen most of the top picks of both teams fight already.
The rivalry between Faber and Cruz does seem a little more intense than Belfort and Silva, although it does appear very “acted out” at times.
So all in all, the early nod goes to TUF Live. It’s been a pleasant surprise. When watching TUF Brazil, I do keep in mind that I’m not the target demographic. I wouldn’t be at all surprised if TUF Brazil does for the UFC in Brazil what the original TUF did for the UFC in the U.S.
MMA as we know it today is a relatively new sport. It’s really quite remarkable how quickly it has risen to the national (and international) stage.The biggest sign that MMA has arrived is the UFC’s deal with FOX. What was once only available on pay-per…
MMA as we know it today is a relatively new sport. It’s really quite remarkable how quickly it has risen to the national (and international) stage.
The biggest sign that MMA has arrived is the UFC’s deal with FOX. What was once only available on pay-per-view is now available over broadcast television. It’s not just TV, however. I’ve seen a large number of MMA gyms sprout up in my neighborhood. You can also see MMA’s emergence through the wide availability of MMA-branded clothing such as TapouT and the numerous video games on the market.
MMA has taken off like a runaway freight train. I believe it has overtaken boxing as the premier spectator combat sport. However, I may be biased, as I was never too big a boxing fan to begin with, and I never got to see the greatest boxers fight live (Ali, Tyson, etc.)
Because of its insane popularity, I think it’s fair to ask:
Will MMA one day overtake all of the different martial arts that it is comprised of?
MMA is now a part of our history and culture, but not really a part of our identity (unless you are directly involved in it). Since it is not specifically associated with one country, I don’t think it could replace the martial arts that are (China and Kung Fu, Korea and Taekwondo, Russia and Sambo, etc.)
MMA is first and foremost about competition. It does contain the attributes of other martial arts such as self-discipline and self-defense, but I think of those more as byproducts rather than being the primary focus. I think someone with purely self-defense in mind would train in something like Krav Maga rather than MMA.
Simply put, there are martial arts that specialize in certain things that MMA cannot cover.
It’s only now that we are witnessing the new generation of mixed martial artists—those that train strictly in MMA from a young age. There really hasn’t been enough time for there to be “MMA masters,” but then again, maybe there never will be because the very definition of the sport itself is always changing. It’s still really too early to tell if all the different forms of martial arts will one day meld into MMA, but I think the early answer is “no.”
The taped segment of the show this week was pretty uneventful. It can be summed up in a few lines: Mike Rio hurts his knee, the guys find it tough to adjust to life in the house, and Faber brings in a life coach to talk to the fighters.It finally struc…
The taped segment of the show this week was pretty uneventful. It can be summed up in a few lines: Mike Rio hurts his knee, the guys find it tough to adjust to life in the house, and Faber brings in a life coach to talk to the fighters.
It finally struck me how the house has that “prison” vibe: A bunch of dudes confined to an area with nothing to do other than train and think. Of course, that area is a really nice house, but I think the comparison still holds true.
There wasn’t much build-up to the fight. There was no “beef,” and neither fighter is particularly charismatic. The main storyline was that Dominick Cruz picked Myles Jury to take down Faber’s No. 1 guy, Al Iaquinta. Interestingly enough, both fighters were supposed to appear on previous seasons of TUF but were forced to withdraw due to injury (Jury in season 13, and Iaquinta in season 12).
This week the fighters let their actions in the ring do all of the talking.
Round 1 starts, and the fighters trade strikes. After a while, it appears that Iaquinta is the aggressor—the one pushing forward more often. Jury is more diverse in his striking attack, but it seems like Iaquinta is landing more solidly. He also stuffs a couple takedown attempts along the way.
With about a minute left, they are tangled up on the ground. Jury eventually gets out and in a surprise twist, suplexes Iaquinta! He eventually gets Iaquinta’s back, and that’s where they finish the round.
Tough round to score. It seemed like Iaquinta controlled the action, but Jury had his moments. I could see this round going either way.
Round 2 starts with a low blow delivered to Iaquinta. We’re back in action, and it’s more of what we saw in Round 1: Jury throwing more diverse strikes, with Iaquinta pressing forward. With 3:38 left, Jury clips Iaquinta with a back-fist. Jury charges, but Iaquinta nails him with a right hook. The action is intense.
They eventually settle into their usual pace. With 2:00 left in the round, Iaquinta backs Jury against the cage, but Jury ducks under and gets Iaquinta’s back. He’s not able to do much with the position, and they eventually break. Both fighters land a couple shots in the last minute, and with 12 seconds remaining, Jury takes Iaquinta down.
Very close fight. Once again, this round could go either way.
We go to the judges’ decision and…
It’s a draw.
We go to sudden victory.
Round 3 starts, and Jury winces as Iaquinta punches him. He might have been poked, or simply got punched right in the eye. Anyhow, Iaquinta swarms him and lands a few shots.
The action eventually settles back to its usual pace, with Iaquinta pressing forward most of the time. It seems like Jury is really trying to find angles and attack from the outside. He throws a horribly-telegraphed flying knee.
Jury looks for a few more knees, and Iaquinta clearly sees them coming. I’m waiting for Jury to press the action a little bit, because he’s got to know he’s losing this round.
It never happens. The fighters close the bout with a pretty good exchange.
To my surprise, Jury immediately raises his fists. I’m a bit puzzled because I thought he clearly lost that round.
Judges’ scorecards:
Adalaide Byrd: 10-9 Jury. What?
Patricia Morse-Jarman: 10- 9 Iaquinta.
Glenn Trowbridge: 10-9 Iaquinta.
Thankfully, Iaquinta comes out with the decision. I don’t know how you score that round for Jury. I would’ve flipped my lid if the judges gave the decision to him.
Much has been made about the judging in MMA, and clearly more still needs to be done.
Please let me know in the comments how that round could’ve possibly gone to Jury.
Anyway, it was a bold move by Cruz to put Jury up against Iaquinta, and Jury definitely held his own. Iaquinta looked pretty good and made good on his No.1 pick status. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Iaquinta and Justin Lawrence in the finals.
It’s a bit surprising that the fights this season have pretty much been all on the feet. I’d like to see how some of these fighters would do if taken down.
We go to the fight picks.
Previously in the episode we were shown that Andy Ogle wanted to fight Rio because he defeated his friend in the preliminary fights. Daron Cruickshank says that Rio is old and always injured.
This seems to be the obvious pick. However, Team Faber instead chooses Michael Chiesa to fight..Jeremy Larsen!
Right before the announcement, Faber points out that Cruz said that Larsen had trouble with wrestlers.
We get a pretty intense stare-down, with the fighters going nose to nose.
That was a bit surprising. Maybe after Faber’s comment and being the last pick for Team Cruz, Larsen has a chip on shoulder.
Those familiar with pro wrestling know the terms “face” and “heel.” “Face” is short for “babyface,” which essentially means “good guy.” “Heels” are the villains, and love drawing boos from the crowd.