10 Times MMA Fighters & Referees Clashed In The Cage

It’s not easy being an MMA referee. When the cage door closes it must be a lonely place knowing that they are the only person standing between two fired-up fighters ready to go to war. The two fighters safety is always a referee’s primary concern during a fight, but as you’ll see in this article,

The post 10 Times MMA Fighters & Referees Clashed In The Cage appeared first on LowKick MMA.

It’s not easy being an MMA referee.

When the cage door closes it must be a lonely place knowing that they are the only person standing between two fired-up fighters ready to go to war.

The two fighters safety is always a referee’s primary concern during a fight, but as you’ll see in this article, all it takes is for one angry, adrenaline-fueled combatant to disagree with a call they make in the cage and suddenly it’s their own safety that’s in jeopardy.

That’s led to some nasty incidents over the years, though don’t be fooled – just because referees aren’t wearing gloves and a mouthpiece doesn’t mean they can’t fight, and you might be surprised to see how many of them can more than hold their own when it’s time to restore order in the Octagon!

Atilla Kubilay

Atilla Kubilay

Atilla Kubilay became an instant villain in the sport after his appaling behavior both before and during his fight with Richard Bowkett at Cage Rage 11 in 2005.

As UK referee Grant Waterman brought the two fighters together in the center of the cage to receive their final instructions prior to the fight, Kubilay suddenly punched his opponent square in the face.

That should have been an instant disqualification, but he was extremely fortunate that Bowkett was still able to continue, and that officials decided that the fight could go ahead.

Despite being warned about his behavior, Kubilay hadn’t learned his lesson, and early in the first round he began landing illegal knees to the head of his downed opponent.

Waterman’s initial attempts to pull Kubilay off Bowkett failed, and so he had to apply a standing rear-naked choke to end the assault, bringing the thug to his knees as other officials rushed in to help him out.

Kubilay only fought one more time before his career came to an abrupt halt.

The post 10 Times MMA Fighters & Referees Clashed In The Cage appeared first on LowKick MMA.

Freak Show Fight of the Day: James Thompson vs. Houston Alexander Added to Bellator 129

As the hilariously self-aware promotion of James Thompson vs. Eric Prindle (see above) already showed us, Bellator has shifted gears from the “toughest tournament in sports” to a more freakshow-centric form of MMA under The Coker Era, one which fans both casual and hardcore can enjoy. We could not be happier with this development, as any throwback to the late 90’s/early aughts of MMA is pretty much our bread and butter (that pathetic Bonnar-Ortiz brawl not included).

Forging ahead with their freak show narrative, Bellator has booked a heavyweight contest between James “The Colossus” Thompson and Houston “Get the F*ck off Facebook” Alexander for the main card of Bellator 129, which goes down on October 17 at the Mid-America Center in Council Bluffs, Iowa.

While Thompson has spent the majority of his career getting wrecked by everyone from Aleksander Emelianenko to Butterbean, he will actually be riding a four fight win streak into Bellator 129, his longest such streak since 2005. Thompson also impressed in his Bellator debut, pounding out Prindle en route to a first round TKO at Bellator 121. The 42 year old Alexander, on the other hand, has gone 1-1 since signing on with Bellator last year, dropping a decision to Vladimir Matyushenko at Bellator 99 before scoring a second round doctor stoppage TKO over Matt Uhde at Bellator 117 in April.

While typically calling the light heavyweight division his home, Alexander has actually fought at heavyweight once before, defeating the late Sherman Pendergarst via TKO due to leg kicks back in 2009.

So yeah, two aging journeymen with questionable chins are going to throw leather until one of them falls over. In Iowa. In less than a month. MARK YOUR CALENDARS, FUCKERS.

J. Jones

As the hilariously self-aware promotion of James Thompson vs. Eric Prindle (see above) already showed us, Bellator has shifted gears from the “toughest tournament in sports” to a more freakshow-centric form of MMA under The Coker Era, one which fans both casual and hardcore can enjoy. We could not be happier with this development, as any throwback to the late 90′s/early aughts of MMA is pretty much our bread and butter (that pathetic Bonnar-Ortiz brawl not included).

Forging ahead with their freak show narrative, Bellator has booked a heavyweight contest between James “The Colossus” Thompson and Houston “Get the F*ck off Facebook” Alexander for the main card of Bellator 129, which goes down on October 17 at the Mid-America Center in Council Bluffs, Iowa.

While Thompson has spent the majority of his career getting wrecked by everyone from Aleksander Emelianenko to Butterbean, he will actually be riding a four fight win streak into Bellator 129, his longest such streak since 2005. Thompson also impressed in his Bellator debut, pounding out Prindle en route to a first round TKO at Bellator 121. The 42 year old Alexander, on the other hand, has gone 1-1 since signing on with Bellator last year, dropping a decision to Vladimir Matyushenko at Bellator 99 before scoring a second round doctor stoppage TKO over Matt Uhde at Bellator 117 in April.

While typically calling the light heavyweight division his home, Alexander has actually fought at heavyweight once before, defeating the late Sherman Pendergarst via TKO due to leg kicks back in 2009.

So yeah, two aging journeymen with questionable chins are going to throw leather until one of them falls over. In Iowa. In less than a month. MARK YOUR CALENDARS, FUCKERS.

J. Jones

Throwback Thursday: Alistair Overeem’s Eight Greatest Squash Match Performances


(Simon says, “Die.” Photo via sescoopes)

If the bookies are to be believed, Alistair Overeem should tear through Ben Rothwell like tissue paper at Fight Night Mashantucket tomorrow. Currently listed as high as a 7 to 1 favorite over “Big” Ben, Overeem is already making some pretty bold claims about his next run at a title, which cannot possibly backfire a second time. Hell, Overeem might even throw Anthony Johnson a pity beatdown on his way to said title, just for kicks. He’s THAT confident.

Then again, confidence has never really been an issue for Overeem, and it’s easy to see why. When he is paired up against anyone less than a top contender, Overeem fights as if he’s been beamed down from a distant planet (let’s call it, “Pectoria”) to remind us humans of how puny and insignificant we are in the grand scheme of it all. Even his nickname, “The Demolition Man”, is otherworldly in its awesomeness.

And while it’s true that Overeem has struggled against upper echelon competition throughout his career, it’s also true that there isn’t a fighter alive who crushes cans quite like he does (not that Rothwell is by any means a can). Ubereem is the foremost purveyor of squash matches, indeed, so let these eight videos serve as a testament to his greatness.

In Which The Uber Makes Gary Goodridge Cry Out in Agony

By the time Gary Goodridge got around to fighting Alistair Overeem, he was a 42-year-old (though oddly enough, introduced as 32) relic of his former self who was waist deep in the eight-fight losing streak that would end his MMA career. Overeem, on the other hand, had just obliterated Mirko Cro Cop‘s testicles at DREAM 6. To say that these men’s careers were heading in opposite directions would be a slight understatement.


(Simon says, “Die.” Photo via sescoopes)

If the bookies are to be believed, Alistair Overeem should tear through Ben Rothwell like tissue paper at Fight Night Mashantucket tomorrow. Currently listed as high as a 7 to 1 favorite over “Big” Ben, Overeem is already making some pretty bold claims about his next run at a title, which cannot possibly backfire a second time. Hell, Overeem might even throw Anthony Johnson a pity beatdown on his way to said title, just for kicks. He’s THAT confident.

Then again, confidence has never really been an issue for Overeem, and it’s easy to see why. When he is paired up against anyone less than a top contender, Overeem fights as if he’s been beamed down from a distant planet (let’s call it, “Pectoria”) to remind us humans of how puny and insignificant we are in the grand scheme of it all. Even his nickname, “The Demolition Man”, is otherworldly in its awesomeness.

And while it’s true that Overeem has struggled against upper echelon competition throughout his career, it’s also true that there isn’t a fighter alive who crushes cans quite like he does (not that Rothwell is by any means a can). Ubereem is the foremost purveyor of squash matches, indeed, so let these eight videos serve as a testament to his greatness.

In Which The Uber Makes Gary Goodridge Cry Out in Agony

By the time Gary Goodridge got around to fighting Alistair Overeem, he was a 42-year-old (though oddly enough, introduced as 32) relic of his former self who was waist deep in the eight-fight losing streak that would end his MMA career. Overeem, on the other hand, had just obliterated Mirko Cro Cop‘s testicles at DREAM 6. To say that these men’s careers were heading in opposite directions would be a slight understatement.

The age, speed, size, and everything else discrepancy was apparent from the very get-go, as Overeem followed up a few of his trademark vicious knees by just kind of gently guiding Goodridge to the ground to deliver a further beating. A series of brutal body shots followed, each sending shockwaves through the canvas with a sickening thud, and then, like a cat who had grown tired of its prey, Alistair mercifully finished off “Big Daddy” (phrasing) with an Americana.

Perhaps “mercifully” is the wrong word to use, as Goodridge was left crying out in pain like a man who had just received a botched vasectomy as it was happening. In any case, this fight was so insignificant that it is not even mentioned on either Overeem’s or Goodridge’s Wikipedia pages.

In Which The Uber Treats James Thompson Like a Child’s Play Thing

I may not speak the language, but I’d like to think that the announcers calling this fight were actively mocking it as it took place, hence their near constant bouts of uncontrollable laughter. The Japanese are unapologetically earnest when it comes to their love of freak show fights, and while Joe Rogan and Mike Goldberg would be trying their hardest to sell us on James Thompson‘s underrated ground game or heavy hands, these two chose to treat the blasphemy of matchmaking that was Overeem vs. James Thompson like a nutshot compilation video on Youtube. Or maybe the Japanese language is just a series of pitched chuckles and guffaws. Researching it any further would only ruin the surprise.

In any case, Overeem’s fight with Thompson at DREAM 12 actually turned into a rather surprising affair, in that it somehow didn’t end in a 30-second KO victory for Alistair. It did, however, end in a 30-second submission win for Alistair after Thompson shot in on an ill-fated single leg takedown attempt. Uber broke less of a sweat finishing “The Colossus” than the announcers did laughing at the ridiculousness of the whole affair.

In Which a Pre “Uber” Uber Wipes the Floor With a Porn Star

Back in 2003, Alistair Overeem was but a frail beanpole of a man who could stand in the shadow of his future self. He was an Overeem who had yet to begin accumulating mass through totally natural means, but he was a dangerous Overeem nonetheless. Facing one-time UFC vet and future porn star Aaron Brink (a.k.a “Dick Delaware”) in his native Netherlands, Gauntereem looked every bit as dominant as his future Hulkish self would, scoring a quick takedown and locking up his patented guillotine choke in just under a minute.

The win would mark Overeem’s 10th straight and earn him a trip back to Japan, where he would knee Mike Bencic into submission at PRIDE 26. Brink would spend the rest of his days battling meth addiction while plowing premo trim in such films as Bossy MILFs 2, Gang Bang Virgins 2, Teens Take It Big 2, and Family Guy: The XXX Parody. So you tell me who’s led a more fulfilling life.

In Which The Uber Ends a Man’s Career Before It Ever Began

Poor Tae Hyun Lee. The sorry SOB never stood a chance.

The UFC Can Learn a Lesson From Bellator: How to Promote Bad Fights


(Photo via Getty)

By Matt Saccaro

The UFC said “Hey, did you hear there’s UFC FIGHTS™ on tonight? The finest athletes in the world are facing off and it’ll be action packed. Watch it!”

So we took their word for it, and watched. The athletes faced off, but they weren’t the finest in the world, and it wasn’t action packed. The athletes were green, regional-caliber competitors and there was more labored breathing and bouts of stalling than action.

Then the next event came. “It’s FIGHT WEEEEEEK! UFC FIGHTS™ are on again. The finest athletes in the world are doing battle in the Octagon™. Be sure to watch!”

We were skeptical, but being loyal MMA fans, we watched again. We were let down again. We voiced our concerns, only to be told we weren’t Real Fans if we didn’t appreciate the fights the UFC gave us. Not wanting to lose our MMA streed cred, we watched the next event that promised the top 1% of fighters battling in the Superbowl of MMA only to be disappointed.

This is what being an MMA fan has been like for the past year or two–especially since the UFC went full “World Fucking Domination” on us.

Fight cards are tougher to sit through because the talent levels are lower. Sometimes there’s two of these regional-level, star-sparse cards on the same day! And I’m not ragging on UFC Fight Night 42 specifically; on paper the card was pretty decent for a free Fight Night Card. I’m referring to the general lowering of the bar in terms of card quality that’s become undeniable as of late. The most insulting part is all these events are, for the most part, marketed the same way: Here’s awesome UFC Fights. They’ll be good. Watch them or you’re not an MMA fan.

And judging by the decline in interest (and PPV buys), lots of viewers decided they weren’t fans. And I’m not going to go on for much longer because I’ve written about the issue of over-saturation extensively on CagePotato, but the UFC can learn an important lesson from Bellator regarding how it promotes less-than-stellar fights: Be honest.


(Photo via Getty)

By Matt Saccaro

The UFC said “Hey, did you hear there’s UFC FIGHTS™ on tonight? The finest athletes in the world are facing off and it’ll be action packed. Watch it!”

So we took their word for it, and watched. The athletes faced off, but they weren’t the finest in the world, and it wasn’t action packed. The athletes were green, regional-caliber competitors and there was more labored breathing and bouts of stalling than action.

Then the next event came. “It’s FIGHT WEEEEEEK! UFC FIGHTS™ are on again. The finest athletes in the world are doing battle in the Octagon™. Be sure to watch!”

We were skeptical, but being loyal MMA fans, we watched again. We were let down again. We voiced our concerns, only to be told we weren’t Real Fans if we didn’t appreciate the fights the UFC gave us. Not wanting to lose our MMA streed cred, we watched the next event that promised the top 1% of fighters battling in the Superbowl of MMA only to be disappointed.

This is what being an MMA fan has been like for the past year or two–especially since the UFC went full “World Fucking Domination” on us.

Fight cards are tougher to sit through because the talent levels are lower. Sometimes there’s two of these regional-level, star-sparse cards on the same day! And I’m not ragging on UFC Fight Night 42 specifically; on paper the card was pretty decent for a free Fight Night Card. I’m referring to the general lowering of the bar in terms of card quality that’s become undeniable as of late. The most insulting part is all these events are, for the most part, marketed the same way: Here’s awesome UFC Fights. They’ll be good. Watch them or you’re not an MMA fan.

And judging by the decline in interest (and PPV buys), lots of viewers decided they weren’t fans. And I’m not going to go on for much longer because I’ve written about the issue of over-saturation extensively on CagePotato, but the UFC can learn an important lesson from Bellator regarding how it promotes less-than-stellar fights: Be honest.

Bellator 121 was easily the worst card (on paper) the Viacom-owned promotion had put together in a while. The best fight it offered was a match between James Thompson and Eric freakin’ Prindle. Fans and media didn’t care about Bellator 121 unless they were mocking it. “Oh, James Thompson is in the so-called #2 promotion in 2014. LOL.”

But then this trailer came out:

Yes, it’s a little cheesy at times but in some ways it’s unabashedly honest. There’s never been a better trailer for a worse fight.

Am I saying the UFC should promote all their Fight Night cards as “OMG BACON AND PIZZA FIGHTS AMAZEBALLS”? No. What I’m saying is that the UFC’s current method of promoting low-level fights is factually bankrupt and without substance.

Remember the Strikeforce: Challengers series? It was Strikeforce’s low-level show devoted to their lesser-known fighters and prospects. Perhaps the UFC should start promoting their Fight Night cards as something similar rather than a generic night of UFC action. Saying a barista is a world-beater when he clearly isn’t makes your word meaningless. Saying the pound-for-pound best fighter alive is whoever’s headlining the next card makes your word meaningless. Strikeforce never tried to pass off a Challengers as one of it’s A-level events. The UFC does the opposite. All of its shows are presented as equal in quality because they all have the UFC brand attached. This is a mistake because it teaches the viewer to associate the brand with an inferior product (poor fighters and poor fights). Sometimes a jobber is just a jobber. The UFC would do well to remember that.

Bellator 121 Results: Sokoudjou and James Thompson Emerge Victorious, Thompson Gives Rambling, Incoherent Promo About Testicles


(Oh yeah, and this happened. / via Zombie Prophet).

Bellator held it’s first extremely lackluster summer series fight card tonight with Bellator 121. We take a lot of heat for being negative, but this card warrants the hate. It was easily the worst card (on-paper) Bellator has put on in ages.

Let’s talk about the two fights you probably care about most: James Thompson vs. Eric Prindle and Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou vs. Professional Jobber Terry Davinney


(Oh yeah, and this happened. / via Zombie Prophet).

Bellator held it’s first extremely lackluster summer series fight card tonight with Bellator 121. We take a lot of heat for being negative, but this card warrants the hate. It was easily the weakest card (on-paper) Bellator has put on in ages.

Let’s talk about the two fights you probably care about most: James Thompson vs. Eric Prindle and Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou vs. Professional Jobber Terry Davinney

Sokoudjou controlled the fight against the doughy Davinney. He was taken down at one point, but managed to sweep Davinney after a minute or two and then finish him with a rear-naked choke (GIF via Zombie Prophet). Not a ton to say about this. It was a textbook squash match but it lacked highlight reel splendor.

Now, Eric Prindle vs. James Thompson. That fight was marketed as King Kong vs. Godzilla and bacon vs. chocolate. It wasn’t. Thompson took Prindle down with comical ease. A few soft ground-and-pound punches (GIF via Zombie Prophet) later and it was over. Nothing special or exciting–save for Thompson’s incomprehensible (but incredible) post fight interview. He talked about a guy having only one testicle. No joke. Watch it for yourself, it was without a doubt the highlight of the night.

In case you’re interested, here are the complete results for the card:

Main Card

Philipe Lins def. Austen Heidlage via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 1, 2:45
James Thompson def. Eric Prindle via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 1:55
Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou def. Terry Davinney via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 1, 4:16
Egidijus Valavicius def. Carlos Eduardo via split-decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28) – Round 3, 5:00

Preliminary Card

Joe Vedepo def. Cortez Coleman via majority decision (28-28, 29-27, 29-27) – Round 3, 5:00
Kelly Anundson def. Rodney Wallace via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27) – Round 3, 5:00
Ray Sloan def. Jamelle Jones via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 1, 0:48
Robert McDaniel def. Matt Jones via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-27, 30-27) – Round 3, 5:00
Steve Garcia def. Cody Walker via knockout (punch) – Round 1, 0:39
William Florentino def. Guillermo Martinez Ayme via split decision (28-29, 30-27, 29-28) – Round 3, 5:00

Great Moments in Bad Promos: Bellator 121, THE SOLDIER vs. THE COLOSSUS!

(Props: BellatorMMA)

Bellator 121 goes down tonight in Thackerville, Oklahoma, featuring freak show veterans James Thompson and Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou, and a bunch of fights that don’t really matter. Promoting these fights as important from a competitive standpoint would be laughably inaccurate, and so, Bellator has gone the other way, releasing an over-the-top, tongue-in-cheek, Sharknado-quality video promo trying to drum up interest. Give it a look above, and you will see:

– An ironic usage of “O Fortuna,” which is always appropriate for moments like this.

– A list of “things that are awesome,” including “dynamite” and “hot chicks.”

– A celebration of the time that Eric Prindle got stomped in the crotch by Thiago Santos, then axe-kicked Thiago Santos in his crotch during their rematch. It is described as “poetic justice” by commentator Jimmy Smith.

James Thompson going full WWE at 1:38-1:56. (“I’ve come hea’ to face Eric Prindle, Pringle, wotevva ‘is name is, it doosint matteh…”)


(Props: BellatorMMA)

Bellator 121 goes down tonight in Thackerville, Oklahoma, featuring freak show veterans James Thompson and Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou, and a bunch of fights that don’t really matter. Promoting these fights as important from a competitive standpoint would be laughably inaccurate, and so, Bellator has gone the other way, releasing an over-the-top, tongue-in-cheek, Sharknado-quality video promo trying to drum up interest. Give it a look above, and you will see:

– An ironic usage of “O Fortuna,” which is always appropriate for moments like this.

– A list of “things that are awesome,” including “dynamite” and “hot chicks.”

– A celebration of the time that Eric Prindle got stomped in the crotch by Thiago Santos, then axe-kicked Thiago Santos in his crotch during their rematch. It is described as “poetic justice” by commentator Jimmy Smith.

James Thompson going full WWE at 1:38-1:56. (“I’ve come hea’ to face Eric Prindle, Pringle, wotevva ‘is name is, it doosint matteh…”)

– A voice-over describing Prindle vs. Thompson as “a high-concept fight that is MMA’s version of Godzilla vs. King Kong, a tiger fighting a shark, or a side of bacon in a chocolate milkshake.” What. The. Fuck.

– A subtle suggestion that the audience should be drinking beer during the broadcast.

Basically, your manhood is in question if you don’t tune in to Spike TV tonight. Got it, pansies? [*rides T-Rex off to Hooters*]