Those who have still yet to experience the effectiveness of women competing in mixed martial arts (aka “WMMA”), one just needs to watch the Women’s Strikeforce Bantamweight Champion, Ronda Rousey, in action.Rousey has undoubtedly shown the beauty, grac…
Those who have still yet to experience the effectiveness of women competing in mixed martial arts (aka “WMMA”), one just needs to watch the Women’s Strikeforce Bantamweight Champion, Ronda Rousey, in action.
Rousey has undoubtedly shown the beauty, grace and power of judo since she stepped foot into the MMA arena.
A bronze medalist in judo at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, Rousey became the first American to win an Olympic medal in women’s judo since its inception as an Olympic sport in 1992. This is in of itself a true honor.
Rousey is undefeated in her MMA career, having had every opponent tap out within in the first round, all via her signature move—the arm-bar. If you turned away for more than one minute, you would have missed the intricacies of Rousey‘s superb judo techniques.
Ask any martial artist and they will most likely tell you that watching Ronda Rousey fight is a sight of martial arts mastery.
Many ponder who can step up and truly pose a challenge for the judo Olympian. In my opinion, Ronda Rousey may do for WMMA what Michael Phelps, the most decorated Olympian of all time, has done in the Olympics for swimming.
Unlike the Olympics, MMA does not have a four year time period between competitions. Whether it is the UFC, Strikeforce or even K-1, professional fighters often compete as frequently as every few months to maintain their status, skills and of course, to please fans who buy tickets to see their favorite fighter duke it out inside the cage or ring.
Thus, Rousey has many opportunities to continue competing if she chooses to. Rousey is looked upon not only as a role model for judo, but also empowering women to hone their mind, body and soul with the martial arts.
You can bet that more women, especially young girls, will begin to sign up at their local judo academies and want to do what Ronda Rousey does.
Does this mean every girl who steps into a judo school is planning to fight or compete in the Olympics? Of course not. But if Rousey can inspire the younger generation to stay off the streets and learn self confidence and discipline with judo, then by all means I am supporting her as a fan and fellow martial artist.
The most anticipated women’s MMA event just answered many questions about the legitimacy of Ronda Rousey, the new Strikeforce bantamweight champion.In traditional Rousey form, the Olympic judo bronze medalist displayed outstanding hip throws, trips and…
The most anticipated women’s MMA event just answered many questions about the legitimacy of Ronda Rousey, the new Strikeforce bantamweight champion.
In traditional Rousey form, the Olympic judo bronze medalist displayed outstanding hip throws, trips and her famous armbars to secure the victory over reigning Strikeforce champion Miesha Tate.
I wish I was there to witness the action live, as watching it on TV does no justice. When the two warriors entered the cage, they both had the look of determination to win. There is no doubt that both Rousey and Tate knew their fight may become an epic stepping stone in women’s MMA.
Upon receiving instructions from the referee, I had a hunch that a touching of the gloves would not take place, as both fighters wanted to tear each others’ heads off. When the bell rang for Round 1, that is exactly what happened.
Tate comes firing at Rousey without even a need to “feel out” the opponent. A one-two combination catches Rousey and they end up in the clinch. Tate tries to take Rousey down but ends up being reversed by the judo powerhouse.
Rousey immediately gains top position with the cross mount and attacks Tate’s arm, securing an armbar.
It looked like Tate was about to have her arm broken from the angle with which Rousey had secured the submission. Tate squirms and Rousey goes for an omoplata instead, but Tate manages to get out of Rousey‘s hold. They stand briefly but Tate gains the dominant back position on Rousey.
Tate works furiously to secure a rear-naked choke but is shaken off by Rousey‘s power. They clinch again, jockeying for position. This goes back and forth for almost the first few minutes of the round until Rousey beautifully utilizes the hip throw on Tate and gains the mount.
Rousey unleashes punches to Tate’s face and again secures the armbar. This time there is no where for Tate to go.
Utilizing her whole body weight, Rousy cranks on Tate’s left arm, and with about 38 seconds left, the referee stops the fight. Tate’s arm is clearly seen broken, and as commentator and former UFC champion Pat Miletich stated, “her arm’s trashed.”
Credit has to be given to Miesha Tate because she never tapped. A true warrior both in and outside of the cage, Tate came in and went out as a fighting warrior. Replays showed the anguish on Tate’s face when Rousey locked in the armbar and cranked for what seemed like an eternity.
Rousey just had the better tools to neutralize Tate’s striking and wrestling. She is a former Olympian who took her skills to a new level in MMA. In my opinion, Ronda Rousey winning the Strikeforce championship just solidified worldwide that judo, martial arts and, more precisely, mixed martial arts is not just a man’s sport anymore.
For those who enjoy my sporadic articles, I apologize for the lapse in recent articles. But instead of digressing on that sour note, let me jump into a quick recap of UFC 144. Finally arriving back in Japan, the place where MMA roots reigned supre…
For those who enjoy my sporadic articles, I apologize for the lapse in recent articles. But instead of digressing on that sour note, let me jump into a quick recap of UFC 144.
Finally arriving back in Japan, the place where MMA roots reigned supreme for almost a decade, UFC 144 showcased a variety of action that pleased many MMA fans.
Now I’m pretty sure that almost everyone who tuned in last weekend focused on the main event fight between Frankie Edgar and Benson Henderson. But before those two warriors collided, a handful of preliminary fights were simply amazing.
One that stands out in particular is British bantamweight Vaughan Lee who displayed outstanding textbook jiu-jitsu with his armbar win over Japan’s own Norifumi “Kid” Yamamoto. Vaughan Lee may not be a household name like Kid Yamamoto but with the sport of MMA, no one should ever count out an opponent based just on records or training videos.
Personally, I have not heard much about Vaughan Lee. His record does not seem to be the best in MMA (12-7-1). And going up against Yamamoto in his own backyard in Japan, it appeared to be a long night for the relatively unknown fighter.
But for some reason, I was excited and mesmerized watching both of these athletes inside the Octagon exchanging blows and trying to see who would get the better end of the deal. Yamamoto seemed to be on point, landing 21 strikes vs Lee’s 14 according to UFC’s strike card. However none of the strikes Yamamoto unleashed seemed to injure Lee at all.
Then almost out of left field, Lee catches Yamamoto with a punch to the temple and Yamamoto goes for the takedown. Lee works from the closed guard into a perfect setup for the triangle.
Yamamoto tries to defend, but leaves his arm in perfect position for Lee to secure a vice grip armbar, submitting Yamamoto in Round 1. This would be the first time Yamamoto has been submitted in MMA.
With three losses in a row, it might be time for Yamamoto to hang up his gloves and make way for a new young breed of fighters like Vaughan Lee.
What comes to mind when you hear “Demolition Man”?No, it’s not Sylvester Stallone’s movie Demolition Man.I’m talking about the baddest K-1 kickboxer and MMA powerhouse on the planet, Alistair Overeem.At UFC 141, “The Reem”, displayed speed, agili…
What comes to mind when you hear “Demolition Man”?
No, it’s not Sylvester Stallone’s movie Demolition Man.
I’m talking about the baddest K-1 kickboxer and MMA powerhouse on the planet, Alistair Overeem.
At UFC 141, “The Reem”, displayed speed, agility, power and precision in dismantling Brock Lesnar. He has now earned the right to face Junior dos Santos for the UFC Heavyweight Championship.
There is no doubt that bombs will be exploding when these two warriors collide inside the Octagon.
Those who have never heard of Alistair Overeem may want to Google or YouTube his name to see the mayhem and carnage he created in Rings, K-1, Strikeforce and Pride. UFC is the only organization left for Overeem to conquer.
Overeem came onto the fight scene at the tender age of 17 years old. He was a tall, well-toned fighter with outstanding Dutch kickboxing skills and an underrated submission game. He started in marital arts at 15 years old with encouragement from his brother, and fellow MMA fighter, Valentjin Overeem.
Valentjin brought Alistair to Chris Dolman’s gym to learn self-defense.
Initially, Alistair did not enjoy training. He was getting beat up by guys in the gym who had more skills.
Honestly, who doesn’t get a little beating when they first enroll into a fighting gym, right?
Nevertheless, when Alistair discovered Dutch sensations Bas Rutten and Joop Kasteel, he started to like training and found fascination in the martial arts.
Overeem was defeating fighters from all over the planet but after a string of losses in Pride to Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, Ricardo Arona and Mauricio “Shogun” Rua, Overeem knew he had to make changes in his training regimen.
He was over-training, cutting too much weight for a fight and losing strength and power. Creating a new strategy with the incorporation of powerlifting, proper nutrition and a change to the world famous Golden Glory Gym in Amsterdam, Overeem transformed from a good fighter to leaving people’s jaws on the floor when he entered the ring.
Overeem began to look like a superhero character who literally popped out of a comic book. The first thing fans and probably even fighters, were in shock and/or in awe was his enormous growth in muscle mass. Speculations of possible steroid use immediately flocked the MMA community, but test results from the U.S. and Japan cleared Overeem of such accusations.
Overeem made his “comeback” at Strikeforce’s four-man tournament in 2007, winning the Strikeforce Heavyweight Championship. Since then, he has defeated notable fighters in MMA from Mark Hunt and Brett Rogers to Fabricio Werdum and, of course, Brock Lesnar.
And let’s not forget his impeccable K-1 performances with wins over Badr Hari, Gokhan Saki, Tyrone Spong and Peter Aerts. Overeem is the only fighter to have consecutively hold both MMA and kickboxing titles at the same time. To do this is no easy feat.
So, what am I trying to say by giving these anecdotes about Overeem?
When Brock Lesnar first came onto the MMA scene, everyone seemed to brush him off like a joke. However, Lesnar went on to win the UFC Heavyweight Championship belt and silenced many critics.
Overeem should not be brushed off or second guessed. UFC President Dana White even admitted this at the UFC 141 post conference. Overeem is a formidable foe for dos Santos. Both have experience, KO power and submissions to end the fight whether in the first round or the fifth round.
My own thought is that Overeem has a bit of an edge over dos Santos in the stand-up department with his vicious knee strikes and overwhelming power in the clinch. What dos Santos may not bring is the variety of kicks and knees that Overeem displays from his Dutch-style kickboxing background.
Should it go to the ground, it may be a short lived grappling encounter.
Many also forget Overeem’s grappling powers.
Overeem was the 2005 ADCC European Trials Champion, winning all his matches via guillotine choke.
Dos Santos is just as deadly as Overeem. He has only one loss in his MMA career to Joaquim Ferreira via armbar in 2007. What fans have not seen is how dos Santos would perform on the ground.
Overeem has submitted opponents and if dos Santos covers up from Overeem’s power punches and knees, he might be able to catch dos Santos with his head down right into his brutal guillotine choke.
With all this being said, MMA is the only sport where anything can happen.
I’m betting on Overeem because right now, he is the baddest man on the planet.
Mirko Cro Cop is a legend. No ifs or buts about it. Even though UFC 137 was Cro Cop’s last fight in the UFC, he displayed a bit of his old self inside the Octagon. Punches, kicks and decent ground work gave fans a sense of closure that Cro Cop still ha…
Mirko Cro Cop is a legend. No ifs or buts about it. Even though UFC 137 was Cro Cop’s last fight in the UFC, he displayed a bit of his old self inside the Octagon. Punches, kicks and decent ground work gave fans a sense of closure that Cro Cop still had one fight left in him.
During the UFC 137 press conference in Las Vegas, Cro Cop stated his fight with Roy Nelson would be his last. Whether he won or lost, he was honest to himself and to fans worldwide that there is a time when a man has to face reality of hanging up the gloves.
Though only 37, for the sport of MMA, it is almost light years away from the young contenders now coming into the spotlight. Would Cro Cop have continued fighting for the UFC if he defeated Roy Nelson? To some it may be a possible yes answer. But the legend of Cro Cop is not about wins or losses. It is about the determination of a man.
Walking out to his iconic Duran Duran music montage, Cro Cop looked physically in tip-top shape and confident to face the younger and slightly slimmer than usual Roy Nelson that fans are used to seeing. My guess is that Nelson’s last fight against Frank Mir woke him up to the necessary diet and physical changes needed to compete with the always dangerous Cro Cop.
Like most fights in the first round, both fighters were feeling themselves out and by half way into the round, both fighters started to throw down in the Octagon. Nelson took down Cro Cop and landed a bit of ground and round, but nothing to cause serious damage.
Cro Cop’s fierce punching power and speed found Nelson’s chin a few times with uppercuts and straight lefts. Cro Cop also landed a few of his famous left kicks to the body and head of Roy Nelson, but it did not seem to phase him.
Round two started with Nelson connecting a right hand to the chin of Cro Cop, but then tables turned when Cro Cop unleashed a barrage of punches against a covered up Nelson. A few more exchanges and two minutes into the round, Nelson clinches and takes down Cro Cop right into the side control position.
This is where Cro Cop sustained the most damage, with Nelson utilizing his weight in the crucifix position and landing punches to the face of Cro Cop. Unable to really defend himself, it looked like the legend would be stopped with less than thirty seconds left in the second round, until the bell rang.
The third round showed the heart of a fighter in Cro Cop. Nelson knew he dominated Cro Cop in round two and could also sense that Cro Cop was tired and didn’t have the same fight as he had in his Pride days.
Round three was all Nelson who moved forward with punches and eventually caught Cro Cop with a right hand and a few right hooks that staggered Cro Cop.
Smelling blood, Nelson finished off Cro Cop via TKO when he tried to shoot for a take down on Big Country.
Both fighters showed great respect throughout the fight and during the interview with UFC commentator Joe Rogan, Cro Cop confirmed that UFC 137 would be his last fight and thanked his fans worldwide. What impressed me most was how humble he was.
However, this does not negate any of Cro Cop’s accomplishments in and out of the ring. He was one of the first K-1 level kickboxers who transitioned into MMA. Cro Cop dominated numerous fighters in Pride and showed the heart of a martial artist.
Although Cro Cop may not be returning to MMA, fans will be delighted to witness his comeback to K-1 in 2012. Whether this means Cro Cop wants to return back to his roots of kickboxing or not, he is and will always be one of the best fighters in the world, both in and outside of the Octagon.
Those who have still yet to experience the effectiveness of women competing in mixed martial arts (aka “WMMA”), one just needs to watch the Women’s Strikeforce Bantamweight Champion, Ronda Rousey, in action.