(That look in Chuck’s eyes — we know it well. / Full gallery is after the jump.)
Since our 25 Most Awkward Photos in MMA History gallery was such a big success, and because we could all use some stupid fun on a Friday afternoon, we decided to put together a GIF-based sequel. Enjoy the uncomfortable hilarity, and if we left out any of your favorites, please post some links in the comments section. Have a great weekend, Potato Nation!
Since our 25 Most Awkward Photos in MMA History gallery was such a big success, and because we could all use some stupid fun on a Friday afternoon, we decided to put together a GIF-based sequel. Enjoy the uncomfortable hilarity, and if we left out any of your favorites, please post some links in the comments section. Have a great weekend, Potato Nation!
(Try as they might, Coleman’s corner simply was not equipped to stop the swelling around his eye between rounds)
None of us who watched it could ever forget when former UFC and Pride champion Mark Colemanembraced his sobbing daughters in the ring after losing to Fedor Emelianenko in 2006 and reassured them that “daddy was alright.” Turns out, neither have his daughters. But, according to one of them, it wasn’t nearly the terrifying experience that we all assumed it to be.
“It was so fun out there…I don’t regret it at all,” Coleman’s daughter said during an interview for an HDNet Fights segment on her dad, which you can check out after the jump.
Coleman was also interviewed, and teared up when talking about the moment and the criticism that he received for it. The idea that he had in some way traumatized his daughters by bringing them to the fight — then introducing them to the man who beat him up — is still hard for Coleman to swallow. “Being a dad was the most important thing to me in the world,” he said.
(Try as they might, Coleman’s corner simply was not equipped to stop the swelling around his eye between rounds)
None of us who watched it could ever forget when former UFC and Pride champion Mark Colemanembraced his sobbing daughters in the ring after losing to Fedor Emelianenko in 2006 and reassured them that “daddy was alright.” Turns out, neither have his daughters. But, according to one of them, it wasn’t nearly the terrifying experience that we all assumed it to be.
“It was so fun out there…I don’t regret it at all,” Coleman’s daughter said during an interview for an HDNet Fights segment on her dad, which you can check out after the jump.
Coleman was also interviewed, and teared up when talking about the moment and the criticism that he received for it. The idea that he had in some way traumatized his daughters by bringing them to the fight — then introducing them to the man who beat him up — is still hard for Coleman to swallow. “Being a dad was the most important thing to me in the world,” he said.
We can’t really blame Coleman for trying to do what he thought was best, especially since it doesn’t look like he did it flippantly; he was just shouting out to his daughters in the audience with the mic, and PRIDE officials apparently ushered them into the ring to make for “good” TV. At any rate, it’s nice to see that his daughters are rockstar athletes now, rather than rabid anti-MMA activists.
In 2010, Tapout released a commercial featuring the Ruffo brothers doing some MMA training.In the commercial the brothers did some striking drills and took direction from UFC Hall of Famer Mark Coleman and late MMA trainer Shawn Tompkins.When the …
In 2010, Tapout released a commercial featuring the Ruffo brothers doing some MMA training.
In the commercial the brothers did some striking drills and took direction from UFC Hall of Famer Mark Coleman and late MMA trainer Shawn Tompkins.
When the commercial came out, the two brothers were only eight and nine years old. Despite their young ages, they have been training in martial arts since they were about 18 months old.
Some people may see these commercials and think, “How could anyone let their children train in such a violent sport?”
But I actually believe it’s a great idea.
So much so, that if I’m ever blessed enough to have children, I would support them if they ever wanted to do MMA training.
I do understand there are pros and cons of it.
MMA can be a violent, dangerous sport. But so can American football and hockey. MMA is no longer the bloodsport or “human cockfighting” that it was once thought to be in the 1990’s; there are many rules and regulations for the sport.
Children also would not actually be participating in actual fights. But more or less sparing with partners like the boys did in the commercial.
Injuries can occur during training. In fact, many pro fighters get hurt more during training than in a actual fight.
Just last year Georges St-Pierre, Jon Jones and Rashad Evans all had to delay fights thanks to injuries they sustained during training. But letting children train in a slow paced, controlled environment could keep injuries at a minimum.
There are plenty of benefits that children could gain from training in MMA.
Like individual martial arts, there is the discipline factor. Children would learn the patience and discipline that it takes to do well in the sport. They would also gain vital self defense skills.
In a society that’s filled with people getting more and more obese, training in MMA could promote a healthy physical outlet for children. MMA also provides an outlet for kids who may not have the skills, physical attributes, or interest in other mainstream sports.
Unlike basketball or football, there is not a body type that you have to have to participate in MMA.
Whether you have a belly like Roy Nelson, have a skinny build like Anderson Silva, or are short like Demetrious Johnson, with good training, anybody can compete in MMA.
Training in MMA could also give children a sense of independence, an opportunity to meet new people, give them something outside of TV and video games to do, and be something to teach them respect.
The idea of teaching a child the same techniques we see inside the cage won’t sit well for many people. But I believe in a safe, well controlled environment, it would at least be worth a try.
Would you let your child do some MMA training? Share your thoughts!
Directed by Bobby Razak, whom you may know as the man behind the amazing Tapout short film, The Future of MMA (that video is after the jump), The History of MMA takes a nostalgic look back at the highs and lows of the sport we love oh so much, and includes commentary from several legends of the sport, including Bas Rutten, Frank Shamrock, Mark Coleman, and referee Big John McCarthy among others. And as luck would have it, Mr. Razak decided to drop the trailer yesterday. We would advise that you check it out.
As you can see, the film touches on many of MMA’s most infamous moments; John McCain’s labeling of the sport as “human cockfighting,” its evolution through Pancrase, and the moment Tito Ortiz decided he had what it took to roc da mic right, yeah. On a side note, we bet Tank Abbott is gonna be pissed when he finds out that his name and photo appear whilst Bas Rutten describes how the UFC used to bring in “big guys with no skill.”
Anyway, join us after the jump to check out The Future of MMA, as well as an up close and personal excerpt from The History of MMA featuring Fred Ettish, a fighter whom, after getting obliterated in his only professional mixed martial arts contest at UFC 2, came back to claim his first win in 2009. At age 53.
Directed by Bobby Razak, whom you may know as the man behind the amazing Tapout short film, The Future of MMA (that video is after the jump), The History of MMA takes a nostalgic look back at the highs and lows of the sport we love oh so much, and includes commentary from several legends of the sport, including Bas Rutten, Frank Shamrock, Mark Coleman, and referee Big John McCarthy among others. And as luck would have it, Mr. Razak decided to drop the trailer yesterday. We would advise that you check it out.
As you can see, the film touches on many of MMA’s most infamous moments; John McCain’s labeling of the sport as “human cockfighting,” its evolution through Pancrase, and the moment Tito Ortiz decided he had what it took to roc da mic right, yeah. On a side note, we bet Tank Abbott is gonna be pissed when he finds out that his name and photo appear whilst Bas Rutten describes how the UFC used to bring in “big guys with no skill.”
Anyway, join us after the jump to check out The Future of MMA, as well as an up close and personal excerpt from The History of MMA featuring Fred Ettish, a fighter whom, after getting obliterated in his only professional mixed martial arts contest at UFC 2, came back to claim his first win in 2009. At age 53.
The History of MMA
Fred Ettish Interview
Details remain sketchy about The History of MMA’s release date, but we will keep you updated on any developments as they transpire.
Mixed martial arts was piggybacked by the likes of these proverbial legends in the sport, who reigned dominant in their heyday as champions or notable figures.However, like with every reign, all good things must come to an end.Case in point: Chuck Lidd…
Mixed martial arts was piggybacked by the likes of these proverbial legends in the sport, who reigned dominant in their heyday as champions or notable figures.
However, like with every reign, all good things must come to an end.
Case in point: Chuck Liddell, who is arguably the greatest light heavyweight to have ever lived. The prestigious honor is no stretch, as “The Iceman” was an early dominant force in the organization, having bested several world-class opponents in devastating fashion.
However, the knockout artist would later succumb to his own lopsided losses at the tail end of his career and blemished his legacy because of it, much like these men who called it quits just a little too late.
(Severn and Shamrock: They were like the Michael Jackson and Prince of big, white grapplers who competed in early ’90s no-holds-barred matches.)
Happy Movember, everybody! In honor of the hairiest month of the year, we convinced UFC Hall of Famer Dan Severn to write a weekly column for CagePotato.com. For the first installment, he plucked some topics from our Facebook page, but he’s up for answering anything about his life, career, and moustache, so drop your own suggestions in the comments section. Visit DanSevern.com and Dan’s Facebook page for more Beast-related updates, and join the CagePotato Movember team if you want to help support a good cause!
Matthew Poulin asks: How many fights do you still want?
Dan Severn: It’s not so much how many fights I want to have. I want specific fights right now. I’ve had some verbal offers but haven’t had the opportunity to bring some of these matches to life. Two particular matches I’m still interested are ones with Mark Coleman and Ken Shamrock. Realistically, I think that 2012 will be my final year as an MMA competitor. So whatever gets done gets done; whatever doesn’t, I’ll have to learn to live with I guess.
(Severn and Shamrock: They were like the Michael Jackson and Prince of big, white grapplers who competed in early ’90s no-holds-barred matches.)
Happy Movember, everybody! In honor of the hairiest month of the year, we convinced UFC Hall of Famer Dan Severn to write a weekly column for CagePotato.com. For the first installment, he plucked some topics from our Facebook page, but he’s up for answering anything about his life, career, and moustache, so drop your own suggestions in the comments section. Visit DanSevern.com and Dan’s Facebook page for more Beast-related updates, and join the CagePotato Movember team if you want to help support a good cause!
Matthew Poulin asks: How many fights do you still want?
Dan Severn: It’s not so much how many fights I want to have. I want specific fights right now. I’ve had some verbal offers but haven’t had the opportunity to bring some of these matches to life. Two particular matches I’m still interested are ones with Mark Coleman and Ken Shamrock. Realistically, I think that 2012 will be my final year as an MMA competitor. So whatever gets done gets done; whatever doesn’t, I’ll have to learn to live with I guess.
Matthew Gingerfunky Hoggart asks: Do you regret taking your last fight?
I can’t regret taking the fight but it didn’t happen at the best time in my career. What the fans see is one aspect but they don’t have a clue as to what I endured for 3 ½ to 4 months before the fight in terms of taking care of my father. Prior to my last fight, my siblings and I were providing home hospice-type care for my father and since I have the most flexible schedule, I was the primary caregiver during the normal working day times. On weekends I would leave late Friday and would be back late Sunday to resume my duties. And I would not change that for the world.
Todd Levin asks: How did you come up with “The Severn”? It’s a very useful wrestling move that is not widely known.
Todd, I don’t even know what you’re asking me. If it’s a technique that you think I created, I’m not sure what you’re referring to specifically. I apologize. I do so many seminars and people are blown away by the mechanics of what I show. The unfortunate thing about a lot of the things I do is it’s not fan friendly because the spectators cannot see my opponent’s pain. But trust me; most people are blown away by the amount of pain that I can inflict. And there will come a day when they will realize what a 53 year old guy can really do.
Ben Silverfox Latham asks: I’d like to know what you think about the way the UFC has changed since you were in it all those years ago, and while you were in it did you ever think it could become so huge?
Okay well Ben, it had to change or else we would be thinking about it in past tense. There was a lot pressure that was coming down from athletic commissions, legislators and politicians who were looking to change the “No Holds Barred” style. The concessions that were made have created the byproduct that is mixed martial arts. As far as the excitement level and the potential for greatness…after watching the first two UFCs on VHS, as I watched other friends inside my living room react to what they were watching, I knew that there was something there. In some ways our society has advanced, but when it boils right down to it, there is a primal, prehistoric captivation about violent acts for people. For example, why does everybody slow down when they see an accident? Nobody admits that they want to see anything – even to themselves — but they do.
When I was watching in the beginning, I was able to view the pain. So as I was watching, I wasn’t watching as a fan to see what kind of outfit the fighters were coming out in or what their walkout music was. I was looking at the actual mechanics. What were the competitors actually bringing to the table…are they strikers? Are they grapplers? I think that fighters see things totally different. You study weakness and strengths of the competitors compared to your own set of skills.
Mike Skytte asks: What do you think of the development of today’s fighters?
Fighters will always develop according to the rules. For example, if they were to make any rule change – regardless of what it may be – you would see the athletes evolve in a different direction. Take the example of time limits. If there was unlimited time or if there were stalemates, that would change how athletes would prepare. The rules really dictate what the fighters are able to do and train for. Certain things that I teach right now are that you are able to exploit some of the rules in the way that you attack or counter-attack in the heat of the action, if the way that you apply the attack is disguised. There is black and white in the sport but there is also a lot of gray.
In 2010, Tapout released a 