Despite the relatively short history of modern mixed martial arts there have been many crucial points at which the fate of the sport—as well as the fate of the athletes within the sport—was decided.From events taking place before the UFC wa…
Despite the relatively short history of modern mixed martial arts there have been many crucial points at which the fate of the sport—as well as the fate of the athletes within the sport—was decided.
From events taking place before the UFC was created up until more modern times, there have always been junctions where the swelling popularity of MMA could have taken a turn for the worse or been catapulted even further into popularity or some other calamitous/favorable could have happened.
What are these “what if” moments embedded throughout MMA history? What alternate reality would have unfolded if the historical choices/circumstances did not occur?
The public service announcement has been part of American culture for decades. Popularized by the perpetually foxy Nancy Reagan in the ’80s, the PSA has taught us everything from not smoking crack to not dumping a pot of boiling oil on your face, and a whole bunch of other not’s. It has also served as a way to punish celebrities and athletes who did something incredibly stupid and got caught.
MMA fighters eventually began to get roped into this as the popularity of the sport rose; some are good, while others should be avoided as much as strangers in pick-up trucks who offer to let you see their puppy. That is why today I present to you the top eight public service announcements featuring MMA fighters. Why? Because knowing is half the battle…
8. Randy Couture VS Crystal Meth
Just say no to drugs! Randy Couture enters the battle against Methamphetamines in this PSA, because when you think crystal meth, think Randy Couture. For a video that is meant to appear sad and claustrophobic, it comes off like an amateur snuff film and loses its impact with the soft-spoken UFC veteran.
Couture has done plenty of these ads, so don’t be surprised if he pops back up on this list. Am I saying he will for sure? No, but if I did, would you stop loving me? I can’t handle any more rejection…oh man, sinking back into that pit of despair. I need some meth. But if I do that, then Randy won’t love me either. Argh, what a vicious cycle! But seriously kids, don’t do drugs. If you feel yourself losing power to your addiction, go punch a hobo instead. It’s much more fulfilling, but don’t take my word for it.
Oh, and I lied. Randy does not appear again on this list. That was the crystal meth talking.
(Look, we only have this at the top because we couldn’t find that clip of Krazy Horse telling kids to “stay in school, and don’t f*ck with drugs.”)
The public service announcement has been part of American culture for decades. Popularized by the perpetually foxy Nancy Reagan in the ’80s, the PSA has taught us everything from not smoking crack to not dumping a pot of boiling oil on your face, and a whole bunch of other not’s. It has also served as a way to punish celebrities and athletes who did something incredibly stupid and got caught.
MMA fighters eventually began to get roped into this as the popularity of the sport rose; some are good, while others should be avoided as much as strangers in pick-up trucks who offer to let you see their puppy. That is why today I present to you the top eight public service announcements featuring MMA fighters. Why? Because knowing is half the battle…
8. Randy Couture VS Crystal Meth
Just say no to drugs! Randy Couture enters the battle against Methamphetamines in this PSA, because when you think crystal meth, think Randy Couture. For a video that is meant to appear sad and claustrophobic, it comes off like an amateur snuff film and loses its impact with the soft-spoken UFC veteran.
Couture has done plenty of these ads, so don’t be surprised if he pops back up on this list. Am I saying he will for sure? No, but if I did, would you stop loving me? I can’t handle any more rejection…oh man, sinking back into that pit of despair. I need some meth. But if I do that, then Randy won’t love me either. Argh, what a vicious cycle! But seriously kids, don’t do drugs. If you feel yourself losing power to your addiction, go punch a hobo instead. It’s much more fulfilling, but don’t take my word for it.
Oh, and I lied. Randy does not appear again on this list. That was the crystal meth talking.
7. Rich Franklin wants you to support veterans and rock out
This one is actually very well-made, and I have no humorous or offensive comments to add to it. I will say that it made this top ten list purely because “She Sells Sanctuary” by The Cult is the background music. How many other PSA’s can claim that they have a soundtrack that is not a few sad piano notes with Sarah McLaughlin mournfully singing about Angels. Screw that. Rich Franklin, rock on!
6. Andrei Arlovski knocks out dog fighting
Have you ever wanted to hear Andrei Arlovski talking seriously with lullaby music in the background? I know you have, and this video finally delivers on that. “The Pitbull” talks about the dangers of dog-fighting accompanied by his actual pitbull, Maximus. Arlovski makes some great remarks about the topic and does his best to push through the dialogue, which probably had to be edited together very tightly to deal with his English-speaking abilities — hence all the b-roll footage — but it’s a good PSA nonetheless, and on an important topic.
Many other MMA fighters worked to fight against dog fighting, including Cung Le, Josh Thompson, “Razor” Rob McCullough and Brett Rogers. None were as incoherent as our favorite fighter from Belarus.
5. VOTE!
I am jealous of other states. Here in New York, MMA is the equivalent of two roosters pecking at each other while people place bets. In other places, it is widely accepted as part of the lifestyle and culture. Nevada Secretary of State Ross Miller joined up with several UFC fighters in this 2008 campaign video to attract younger viewers to vote. Dan Henderson, Chuck Liddell, Quinton Jackson, and even UFC President Dana White all have their voices heard in the video, although the fighters only say one line, which is a very forced “vote” muttered from each of them.
This one lands high up on the list just for having so many UFC fighters in it, as well as utilizing a ton of licensed Zuffa footage of those fighters pounding their opponents. Only in Nevada can we get awesome political ads like that, because according to New York lawmakers, this stuff is too violent and brutal. Frikkin’ stupid politicians.
Smack that “next page” link to learn about street-fighting laws, seatbelt usage, and…cigarette-eating?
This past Saturday the finale for the 13th season of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) reality show concluded. Although the season went out with more of a whimper rather than a bang, many in the MMA community are making it seem far worse than that.Much critic…
This past Saturday the finale for the 13th season of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) reality show concluded. Although the season went out with more of a whimper rather than a bang, many in the MMA community are making it seem far worse than that.
Much criticism has been directed towards the way MMA is judged and the way wrestlers fight (or avoid the fight in the eyes of the critics). This criticism is making it seem like the sky is falling in MMA.
Even former UFC champion and former King of Pancrase Bas Rutten got involved, saying on his twitter that the fight “was not as exciting as [he] thought it would be, Guida vs Pettis, Guida plyd [sic] safe, takedown, holding, Pettis really good from his back”.
So, is the “sky falling” in MMA? Is the entertainment value of the sport, specifically of the UFC’s events, declining?
The short answer is “No” but in reality the issue is more complicated than just one word (for a lengthier assessment of the issue read fellow Bleacher Report writer Jonathan Shrager’s take on the subject).
The truth of the matter, in large part, is the simple fact that the sport is gaining more popularity and therefore more fans of which there is a very vocal minority that expects every fight to be Forest Griffin vs. Stephan Bonnar (the fight that “put MMA on the map” as it were).
To put it more succinctly: It isn’t a problem of fight quality but a problem of unrealistic expectations.
There is little probability of the UFC becoming “boring” and losing it’s popularity, the purported surge of “lay and pray” fighters notwithstanding. Concerning fights like Guida-Pettis, people will eventually learn to appreciate the skill involved in what Guida did and in dominant wrestling in general.
However, there is one issue regarding the Pettis-Guida fight that does have some merit.
If somebody takes you down and just holds you, they should count that takedown AGAINST him. Now, this was of course not the case with Guida, so you can give him the takedown, but on the ground, all the attacks (pretty much) came from Pettis, I am just saying, that should count for something as well.
People say, “Yeah, but submission escapes should count for something as well”, yes, but NEVER more then the submission attacks.
Like I said in an earlier tweet, if somebody attacks on the feet, and the other one just defends, and only “once a while” throws something back. Then , even when the person who attacks doesn’t land a strike, HE is the aggressor, and in a striking match, HE will win the fight if it goes to a decision.
In a ground fight, the guy who goes for submissions should be awarded more then the guy who defends them and only “once a while” tries one of his own, exactly the same as standing.
There is truth to Rutten’s stance on the matter but one must remember his past.
He fought a wrestler, Kevin Randleman, at UFC 20 and was on his back for nearly the entire fight…yet he was awarded the fight and the UFC heavyweight championship in a controversial split-decision. Rutten trained only in striking and submissions, he had no wrestling in his arsenal. Thus, when analyzing Rutten’s opinions on the matter, it is important to note that there is a considerable amount of bias.
Nevertheless, his points are well made. If the fighter on top doesn’t really try to finish or do anything at all and the fighter on bottom does but fails, shouldn’t the fighter who threatened and tried to finish be awarded?
Whatever the answer may be, the question will likely always be ignored by the athletic commissions and the UFC; there is only “outrage” over the issue every couple of events.
In addition, why risk “rocking the boat” when the issue may solve itself? It is possible that when new judges emerge they will understand the sport better and realize that being on top in guard doesn’t necessarily mean winning.
Is the entertainment value of the UFC declining? No, the expectations are rising. Is MMA in crisis? No although it may benefit the sport to rethink the rules (maybe knees to the head of a grounded opponent may help the problem?) or the judging.
Hailing from the hit TV show, King of Queens, actor Kevin James’ latest venture is a film revolving around music and mixed martial arts. To add support and credibility to the upcoming project, Ultimate Fighting Championship president, Dana …
Hailing from the hit TV show, King of Queens, actor Kevin James’ latest venture is a film revolving around music and mixed martial arts. To add support and credibility to the upcoming project, Ultimate Fighting Championship president, Dana White, gave his consent to use the UFC brand in the movie, slated for release in 2012.
According to MMAWeekly’s Damon Martin, Here Comes The Boom is about James’ character, Scott Voss, a high school science teacher, who moonlights as an MMA fighter, in order to save the school’s financially struggling music program.
Along with the comedian, the movie also stars Salma Hayek and Henry Winkler. Also casted for this comedy, as denoted on IMDB.com, are UFC notables: commentator Joe Rogan, ring announcer Bruce Buffer, ring girl Arianny Celeste and former champion Bas Rutten.
Until now, Zuffa LLC, owner of the Ultimate Fighting Championship promotion, has never given anyone the rights to use their trademarked name, since obtaining the UFC in 2001. Kevin James, a longtime mixed martial arts fan, called White directly for permission when production began.
“I like Kevin and he called me up and he’s passionate about the sport, he wanted to do this movie. We haven’t given the rights to anybody,” White explains. “(In the movie) it’s UFC, we gave him the rights to it.”
Though Dana White was asked to have a role the film, the UFC president laughingly declined.
“They asked me. I’m no actor. No way in hell I would do that,” expressed Dana.
Here Comes The Boom is currently in production and scheduled to be released by summer of 2012. The film was written by Kevin James, Rock Reuben and Allan Loeb, and directed by Frank Coraci.
ROLAND RISO MMAIDIOT.COM
Roland Riso is a contributing writer for Bleacher Report. All quotes were obtained from MMAWeekly.com.
In the world of mixed martial arts, the hype machine can be an extremely frustrating thing to a fighter.Some fighters are hyped up too quickly for their game to keep up and that can lead to undeserved fights, endorsements, and all around fan popularity…
In the world of mixed martial arts, the hype machine can be an extremely frustrating thing to a fighter.
Some fighters are hyped up too quickly for their game to keep up and that can lead to undeserved fights, endorsements, and all around fan popularity.
On the other side of the hype coin there are many fighters in this business who’s discipline, blood, sweat and tears seems to go unnoticed no matter what they have done or continue to do when the cage door closes.
It is sometimes a tough pill for a professional fighter to swallow, when they get bypassed and overlooked by the powers that be, for the up and coming, fresh, largely unproven newcomer.
As a shout-out to all those fighters who have sat in the emergency room for hours getting stitched up, while the others jet to the nearest post-fight party, here are the eight most underappreciated fighters of all time.
Filed under: Strikeforce, FanHouse ExclusiveWhen Frank Shamrock paroled out of Folsom Prison in the early nineties, he had narrowed his career choices down to three possibilities.
“I was going to be a physical therapist, or an exotic dancer, or I was …
When Frank Shamrock paroled out of Folsom Prison in the early nineties, he had narrowed his career choices down to three possibilities.
“I was going to be a physical therapist, or an exotic dancer, or I was going to do this no-holds-barred fighting thing that Ken [Shamrock] was doing. And I didn’t know anything about any of them.”
Shamrock had spent most of the last decade in one institutionalized setting or another, whether it was group homes, youth crisis centers, or prison. His adopted father, Bob Shamrock, pointed him in the direction of the Lion’s Den, then an unknown gym for a mostly unknown sport, and run by Frank’s adopted older brother Ken. The first day Shamrock walked in the door, he was told he’d be getting a “tryout.”
When