With the recent announcement that Roy Nelson and Shane Carwin have been named as the coaches for the next installment of The Ultimate Fighter series, the MMA universe immediately launched into a full-blow orgasmic ticker-tape parade complete with tons of flying confetti and a marching band belting out death metal tunes. Once I heard the news, it was as if my life instantaneously turned into a beer commercial and the entire Potato Nation was invited. There was a rad pool-party, barbeque, a plethora of hotties, endless alcohol, and an overall quest for fun.
Well . . . . . actually, none of that happened. In fact, when word spread that Nelson and Carwin would helm the next season of TUF, it was officially filed under “WTF?” Judging from the comment section, most of the CP brethren didn’t care for the choices either. TUF is coming off a season that saw the ratings dip lower than they ever had, which could partially be blamed on the move to FX and the dreaded Friday night time slot. Regardless of the variables for the ratings drop, something drastic needs to be done, but is anybody really convinced that Carwin and Nelson are the answer to TUF’s slow and painful demise? Let’s start from the beginning and take a look back to see if this runaway train can be coaxed back onto the main rail.
The Season That Started it All
The inaugural season of TUF featured future Hall of Famers Chuck Liddell and Randy Couture as the competing coaches who would go mano y mano at the PPV after the season finale. For fans of the UFC, that was good enough for most to initially tune in for the Fertitta-funded experiment. It still remains the best crop of young talent and personalities to ever grace the show; future stars like Forrest Griffin, Stephan Bonnar, Josh Koscheck, Chris Leben, Diego Sanchez, Mike Swick, Kenny Florian, and Nate Quarry were all complete unknowns vying for stardom in a fledgling sport. You mix in the whole “fatherless bastard” angle and the show was off and running even before the awe-inspiring climax between (pre TRT) FoGrif and The American Psycho. Even before that, we were treated to the greatest speech of all time that has since been condensed into a few words. “Do you wanna be a fighter?” Though there were other memorable moments from the seasons that followed, Zuffa should have quit while they were ahead because it would never be this good again. The unrefined personification of immature talent, undeniable aspirations and gonzo-sized balls oozed from the boob tube during every episode.
With the recent announcement that Roy Nelson and Shane Carwin have been named as the coaches for the next installment of The Ultimate Fighter series, the MMA universe immediately launched into a full-blow orgasmic ticker-tape parade complete with tons of flying confetti and a marching band belting out death metal tunes. Once I heard the news, it was as if my life instantaneously turned into a beer commercial and the entire Potato Nation was invited. There was a rad pool-party, barbeque, a plethora of hotties, endless alcohol, and an overall quest for fun.
Well . . . . . actually, none of that happened. In fact, when word spread that Nelson and Carwin would helm the next season of TUF, it was officially filed under “WTF?” Judging from the comment section, most of the CP brethren didn’t care for the choices either. TUF is coming off a season that saw the ratings dip lower than they ever had, which could partially be blamed on the move to FX and the dreaded Friday night time slot. Regardless of the variables for the ratings drop, something drastic needs to be done, but is anybody really convinced that Carwin and Nelson are the answer to TUF’s slow and painful demise? Let’s start from the beginning and take a look back to see if this runaway train can be coaxed back onto the main rail.
The Season That Started it All
The inaugural season of TUF featured future Hall of Famers Chuck Liddell and Randy Couture as the competing coaches who would go mano y mano at the PPV after the season finale. For fans of the UFC, that was good enough for most to initially tune in for the Fertitta-funded experiment. It still remains the best crop of young talent and personalities to ever grace the show; future stars like Forrest Griffin, Stephan Bonnar, Josh Koscheck, Chris Leben, Diego Sanchez, Mike Swick, Kenny Florian, and Nate Quarry were all complete unknowns vying for stardom in a fledgling sport. You mix in the whole “fatherless bastard” angle and the show was off and running even before the awe-inspiring climax between (pre TRT) FoGrif and The American Psycho. Even before that, we were treated to the greatest speech of all time that has since been condensed into a few words. “Do you wanna be a fighter?” Though there were other memorable moments from the seasons that followed, Zuffa should have quit while they were ahead because it would never be this good again. The unrefined personification of immature talent, undeniable aspirations and gonzo-sized balls oozed from the boob tube during every episode.
Season 2
Season 2 saw Rich Franklin coach opposite Matt Hughes, and since both men competed at different weight classes, they were obviously not going to fight at the conclusion of the season. This was a prime example of the UFC throwing shit against the wall to see if it would stick by parading two somewhat charismatic champions in front of the camera with hopes of gathering ratings/fans for the upcoming UFC 56 PPV. Although it was undoubtedly a less thrilling season than that of its predecessor, it did introduce to another future light heavyweight champion in Rashad Evans, who won the contract competing as a heavyweight, as well as such names as Joe Stevenson, Melvin Guillard, and future pound-for-pound punching bag GOAT Keith Jardine. And if not for Jardine, the worldmay have never learned that “The Dean of Mean” would make no sense if his last name was Johnson, a valuable take home indeed.
Season 3
Season 3 is one of my personal favorites because of the preconceived notions about coaches: Tito Ortiz and Ken Shamrock. Tito was working the crap out of “The Huntington Beach Bad Boy” gimmick and wore the black hat pretty damn well even though he desperately wanted to be accepted by everyone. On the other hand, Shamrock was the MMA legend who competed in the very first UFC tournament and was the founder of his own training facility – The Lion’s Den. Shamrock was supposed to be the more seasoned coach, but chose to bring in weight lifting specialists and opted to rewatch videos of his UFC fights instead of training during an infamous episode, among other baffling decisions. Tito, conversely, came across as a guy that was genuinely committed to making his team better fighters through technique (believe it or not) and some crazy conditioning drills involving piggyback rides and vacant floors of Las Vegas hotels. In the end, Tito TKO’d Ken in just over a minute and Michael Bisping began his quest to piss off everybody around the world en route to winning the LHW contract.
Season 4 – The Comeback
Season 4 came upon us with the familiar sound of a giant turd smacking against a cinder block divider. Luckily for the UFC, a Ram-Manesque New Yorker with a perfectly timed overhand right came along and the dookie kind of stuck. I am not exactly sure who came up with the idea of bringing back washed up fighters mixed with a few coulda-shoulda guys coupled with a blend of has-beens and never-weres, but I am certain it must have sounded phenomenal during the pitch meeting. This was the only other season that featured an abundance of talent (albeit fleeting talent) like the first season. Shonie Carter, Patrick Côté, Matt Serra, Travis Lutter, Jorge Rivera, Pete Sell, *cough convicted rapist *cough* Jeremy Jackson, Scott Smith, Din Thomas, Mikey Burnett, and (everybody’s favorite) Chris Lytle. All of these guys were waaaaaay professional for any of the usual drama to become too much of an issue, aside from Shonie’s batshit craziness, that is. There were no head coaches but instead guest coaches, and all the fighters shared instructors Mark DellaGrotte as their striking guru and Marc Laimon as the perceived submission specialist. Season highlights include a goggled Burnett self-concussing himself while running through some sheet rock (forgetting that code requires studs every 16 inches), Serra calling Laimon a pussy for never stepping into the real world of fighting and of course . . . . . this. After the season there would be a fundamental plummet to mediocrity.
Season 5, or, the Aforementioned Plummet to Mediocrity
Season 5 was back to a basic grudge match between BJ Penn and Jens Pulver. The session would have been pretty tense if Pulver actually won his “welcome back to the UFC” fight months prior. Instead, Jens got KTFO by a wild-eyed nobody (at the time) named Joe Lauzon. How do you remedy this issue? Make Lauzon a participant during the season and have BJ make the guys raise their hands if they did NOT want to be on Pulver’s team. We were also introduced to the unrefined, yet potent, skills of Nate Diaz (along with his brotherly inspired “Fuck You” demeanor towards Karo Parisyan) and some Ping-Pong skills that would make Forrest Gump puke. So, basically the entire thing resembled a trash can fire without the Doo Wop.
On the next page: Disgusting pranks, trans-Atlantic rivalry, and a pugilist named Slice.
(Little known fact: The original version of America the Beautiful contained a fifth verse about Don Frye’s shorts.)
In honor of our country’s 236th birthday, we’ve got a special CagePotato Roundtable discussion for you guys: Who was the greatest American MMA fighter of all time? Because let’s face it, America is exceptional, and we produce the best goddamned fighters in the world. SORRY LIBERAL MEDIA, I SAID IT. Enjoy, and if you have an idea for a future Roundtable topic, please send it to [email protected]. And hey, be careful with those bottle rockets, okay?
I’d stack Dan’s accomplishments up against any other fighter in this roundtable discussion — the unprecedented two-division title reign in PRIDE, the five single-night tournament sweeps, the stunning knockouts of Wanderlei Silva, Michael Bisping, and Fedor Emelianenko — but what makes him America’s MMA G.O.A.T. is his incredible longevity. Dan Henderson has been a top-ten fighter longer than anybody else in the history of the sport. I can only think of two other MMA fighters who started their careers 15 years ago who are still considered viable stars, and neither of them are American: Vitor Belfort, whose career was plagued by long stretches of injury and inconsistency, and Anderson Silva, who’s a freakish exception to any rule.
(Little known fact: The original version of America the Beautiful contained a fifth verse about Don Frye’s shorts.)
In honor of our country’s 236th birthday, we’ve got a special CagePotato Roundtable discussion for you guys: Who was the greatest American MMA fighter of all time? Because let’s face it, America is exceptional, and we produce the best goddamned fighters in the world. SORRY LIBERAL MEDIA, I SAID IT. Enjoy, and if you have an idea for a future Roundtable topic, please send it to [email protected]. And hey, be careful with those bottle rockets, okay?
I’d stack Dan’s accomplishments up against any other fighter in this roundtable discussion — the unprecedented two-division title reign in PRIDE, the five single-night tournament sweeps, the stunning knockouts of Wanderlei Silva, Michael Bisping, and Fedor Emelianenko — but what makes him America’s MMA G.O.A.T. is his incredible longevity. Dan Henderson has been a top-ten fighter longer than anybody else in the history of the sport. I can only think of two other MMA fighters who started their careers 15 years ago who are still considered viable stars, and neither of them are American: Vitor Belfort, whose career was plagued by long stretches of injury and inconsistency, and Anderson Silva, who’s a freakish exception to any rule.
As for Dan, there’s no reason a 41-year-old man should still be able to compete at such a high level, after so many wars. Of all the old legends, he’s the last man standing. He’s even managed to outlast fighters who started competing several years after he did and who are still considered legends. (I’m thinking of Fedor and BJ in particular.) Henderson is without a doubt the best American fighter in the sport’s history, and if he manages to beat Jon Jones in September, he’s got my vote for greatest fighter of all time.
When you ask who the best American fighter is, there are two ways you can interpret this question. One way is “who is the best fighter born in America?” My answer to that would be Dan Henderson, but unfortunately, BG called dibs on him first. But fortunately for me, there’s another way to interpret this; “who is the best fighter who embodies the ideals and characteristics of America?” Before you say Brian Stann or Randy Couture, let’s be real; being in the Army isn’t a marker of how “American” you are. There are plenty of Americans who are not only not in the military, but actually oppose how our military is utilized. Are they somehow less American because they disagree with our country’s foreign policy? Hardly.
The fact is that America is a land of dualities. Two sides to one coin. East coast and West coast, Republican and Democrat, Coke and Pepsi, you know the drill. And no fighter embodies that sense of duality more than Nick Diaz. Occupy Wall Street says America’s got the 1% and the 99%? Nick Diaz gets paid “too much” — like the 1% — but “not enough” – just like the 99%! His interviews consist of minutes of nonsensical rambling that contain nuggets of profoundly accurate observations. He’s the world’s most energetic stoner. Speaking of which, like half of the country, he thinks marijuana should be legal. Like many Americans, he doesn’t like waking up and going to work sometimes and he is a fan of profanity.
Of course, he doesn’t share all the qualities of Americans. He’s in fantastic shape, which is somewhat contrary to the image of the country with the largest obesity rate in the world. But it’s not like Americans let the truth get in the way of their own convenient narratives anyway. That’s why it’s easy to pick a soldier when we think about who’s the best American fighter, because we like to buy into the concept of the ideal American. But Nick Diaz is a real American, with all the virtues and vices that make this country what it really is. And it just so happens he can throw down with the best of them in arguably the best division in the UFC. That’s what makes Nick Diaz the best American fighter.
God (as communicated to blessed virgin Jared Jones)
You are now listening to the word of The Lord.
Randy Couture retired with a record of 19-11, having never defended one of the belts he was gifted more than twice in his career. He is a polygamist and an adulterer who will be run over by a Mack truck on the set of The Expendables 3 immediately after proposing to his seventh wife, a 17-year-old flight stewardess who just happened to be assigned to his private jet.
Dan Severn is a big, smelly, ape who used to sodomize other men — grown men — in the early days of the sport and pass it off as “entertainment” or “wrestling.” He now resorts to working matches against jobbers and fighting dementia-ridden homeless people who were lured into the hole-in-the-wall dives he calls home with the promise of a peanut butter and crack sandwich if they were able to defeat him. The few who were able to do so without succumbing to old-man-sweat-poisoning never received the PB & C sandwich they so rightfully deserved.
Don Frye is a misogynistic drunkard who resorts to crass jokes involving his genitalia, miles of broken glass, and the opportunity to hear a certain woman’s flatulence over a walkie-talkie during live broadcasts.
Tito Ortiz laid with a common wench-for-hire and produced twin versions of the antichrist.
Jon Jones is so full of hubris that he refers to me as “Bones” when carrying out his weekly prayers.
What do these men all have in common? They were/are all terrible champions, and they are all destined to spend eternity in the fiery pits of Satan’s anus for their insolence.
Why is Matt Hughes the greatest American champion, you ask? Because he not only embodies every single core valueof the land I and I alone created, but he was able to play David to Satan’s Goliaths through the simple power of hard work, determination, and constant worship of all that is me. If you need any more convincing, look no further than his seven title defenses. Not six, seven. Six is the devil’s number, which explains why Matt has defeated six former champions in his time. Suck it, Lucifer. Matt also currently holds the record for most UFC victories, a record that will never be broken if I have anything to say about it (Spoiler: I do. I have everything to say about it).
I am absolutely shocked (and rather insulted) that the rest of you would even insinuate that there is a greater American than Mr. Hughes. The book I wrote about him was calledMade in America: The Most Dominant Champion in UFC History, for My Son’s sake.What else do you need?A second coming? Mr. Hughes has defended our (re: my)country’s honor from those dirty, big-butted Brazilians and their latently-homosexual “ground fighting” by using their own techniques against them, showing them the err of their ways, if you will, despite the fact that he doesn’t even hold a “belt” in their amoral, so-called “sport.” He was the only man to offer any resistance whatsoever against that dry-humping Canuck who is currently fisting the welterweight division into non-existence, and in his spare time, Mr. Hughes defends our homes from the guardians of Hell.
The proof is in the country breakfast bread pudding, people.
“You’re only allowed three great women in your lifetime. They come along like the great fighters, every ten years. Rocky Marciano. Sugar Ray Robinson. Joe Louis. Sometimes you get ‘em all at once…”
It’s fitting that I start my entry with these classic lines from A Bronx Tale. In context, Sonny taught a generation through C how to look for a good woman. By themselves, Sonny sets the bar for how I’m about to define the greatest American mixed martial artist. There have been plenty of good fighters to come from America, but as far as I’m concerned, only one great one. Good fighters win. Great fighters dominate. Good fighters make you change your game plan. Great fighters change the game.
In the past ten years, MMA fans have been privileged to watch the following three individuals: There’s been Fedor Emelianenko. There still is Anderson Silva. And we’re just getting started with my selection for this discussion, Jon Jones.
Even the most jaded Bones haters cannot deny that he is a special talent; at least not without looking bitter and pathetic. He started his career going 6-0 in only three months. He’d go on to make Andre Gusmao look utterly hopeless en route to a unanimous decision victory in his UFC debut — on two weeks’ notice, nonetheless. He’d become the youngest champion in the history of the UFC, defending the title three times before his 25th birthday. Save for one round against Rashad Evans and a few 12-6 elbows against Matt Hamill (resulting in the “loss” by DQ on his record), he’s yet to look human, let alone beatable.
He is our sport’s Michael Jordan. He is our sport’s Roberto Clemente. He is our sport’s Mike Tyson.
Of course, time will tell which comparison is the most accurate. Will he continue to raise the bar to seemingly insurmountable heights? Will he be taken from us while he’s still in his prime, leaving us to wonder what could have been if he stuck around for another few years? Or will he suffer a monumental collapse, and be remembered as more of a cautionary tale than a once-dominant champion? We’ll have to wait and see, but regardless of how this story ends, Jon Jones deserves to be remembered as the greatest American mixed martial artist in our sport’s brief history.
If he could go back in time and erase five of his six final bouts, Chuck Liddell would have gone down as one of the greatest Mixed Martial Artists of all time. Instead, the accumulation of 22 amateur kickboxing matches and 29 pro MMA fights caught up to the “Iceman,” who earned the nickname by knocking fools cold. Unfortunately for Liddell, he would be the one staring wide-eyed at the bright lights of the arena during the twilight of his career. So instead Charles David “Chuck” Liddell gets the consolation prize being my choice for the greatest American MMA athlete in history. But like I said, prior to the closing stages of his illustrious career where he was on the recieving end of some horrific KOs, he was the one doling out the punishment.
If you go eight-and-a-half years in the sport of MMA facing top tier talent and only lose three times, you’re either blessed or pretty damn good — or both. For Chuck, in his third professional fight, there was no shame in getting submitted by Jeremy Horn especially when he beat the piss of out of Gumby in their rematch years later. Having Randy Couture go all Cpt. Cardio on Chuck was not a reason to hang his head since he dicknailed The Natural in the following two bouts of their trilogy. Then he gassed against Rampage during the Pride Grand Prix in Japan after which he went back to the UFC, captured the light-heavyweight championship and defended it five times. At that point he was recognized as the clichéd “baddest man on the planet.”
Let’s face it. For the better part of a decade there were three fighters who literally carried the UFC. Tito Ortiz, Randy Couture, and Liddell gave the UFC a piggyback ride towards the mainstream success it now has. Since Chuck has a 4-1 combined record against Ortiz and Couture, he wins. That trademark overhand right and the seemingly unbelievable ability to not get taken down garnered Chuck all the accolades. He was the focal point of the UFC at the very beginning of its push towards becoming a household commodity. He was the first MMA’er to be on the cover of ESPN the magazine. He was in movies and featured during an episode of Entourage (before it started to suck). Chuck did all the press junkets and visited various local morning news shows (with mostly great results) to promote the UFC.
Now in retirement, he is the Vice President of Business Development for the UFC. I don’t exactly know what the fuck that means but I am pretty sure he shakes hands and kisses babies all around the world while promoting the UFC with that crazy look in his eyes. Chuck is college educated and very well spoken even though he has a thick mohawk with a few head tattoos. Could you ask for anything more from an ambassador?
No man thinks more highly than I do of the patriotism, as well as abilities, of the very worthy gentlemen who have been mentioned heretofore. But different men often see the same subject in different lights; and, therefore, I hope it will not be thought disrespectful to those gentlemen if, entertaining as I do, opinions of a character very opposite to theirs, I shall speak forth my sentiments freely, and without reserve. This is no time for ceremony. The question before the roundtable is one of monumental moment to this Potato Nation. For my own part, I consider it as nothing less than a question of love or hate; and in proportion to the magnitude of the subject ought to be the freedom of the debate. It is only in this way that we can hope to arrive at truth, and fulfill the great responsibility, which we hold to God and our country. Should I keep back my opinions at such a time, through fear of giving offence, I should consider myself as guilty of treason towards this nation, and of an act of disloyalty toward the majesty of heaven, which I revere above all earthly kings.
Readers of CagePotato, it is natural to man to indulge in the illusions of hope. We are apt to shut our eyes against a painful truth, and listen to the song of that siren till she transforms us into beasts. Chael P. Sonnen is the greatest American mixed martial artist of all time. Not Couture. Not Severn. Not Henderson or anyone else for that matter. Despite his alter ego Señor Chael, Sonnen embodies what it truly means to be American like no other…and his MMA career speaks for itself. Come Sunday morning, you will all have a new pound-for-pound king. You may all cry troll alert, but you would be amiss. You can start a flame war in the comments section if you feel it necessary, but is this the part of wise men, engaged in a great and arduous struggle to crown the best American fighter in MMA history?
All the guys above me have spewed their media hype with reckless abandon and smirk all the while. Is it that insidious smile with which you wish to agree with? Trust it not, sirs; it will prove a snare to your feet. Suffer not yourselves to be betrayed with a kiss. They tell you about their record and accolades; they argue how their guys was always a formidable adversary and how without them, the sport just would not be the same. But who can match the awesomeness of Chael P. Sonnen? Who can lay claim to having thrown a beating to the most feared striker in the game? All of his future opponents need to acquire the means of effectual resistance instead of lying supinely on their backs, and hugging the delusive phantom of hope, until he grinds them into a bloody mess. The best American fighter award is not given to the champions of Christmas past alone; it is to the vigilant, the active, the brave. No fighter in MMA history, who has bled red, white, and blue has ever been more vigilant, active, and brave as Chael Sonnen has been in his pursuit with the UFC middleweight champion, Anderson Silva.
It is in vain, fellas, to extenuate the matter. These guys may cry, BS, BS but there is no bull here. The unadulterated truth has actually been revealed! The next gale that sweeps from the north will bring to our ears the clash of resounding leather gloves on Brazilian skull followed by a familiar voice shouting, “Aaaaannnnd new…!” His army of beloved fans is already waiting anxiously! Why stand we here idle? What more do you need to hear? Is honor so dear, or glory so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of money laundering and bold-faced lies? Quite possibly not, but hey, what are you going to do? I know not what whom others may take; but as for me, give me Sonnen or give me death!
On the next page: Tito, Don, Randy, and ReX’s extra-special Top 7 ranking of American legends.
Honestly, if you are in a business like professional fighting, you know you are going to get a lot of bumps and bruises along the way. You have to accept the challenges given to you,.
Honestly, if you are in a business like professional fighting, you know you are going to get a lot of bumps and bruises along the way. You have to accept the challenges given to you, and try to overcome the hardships to reign as the best. This is not the way Hatsu Hioki apparently sees his professional career. He is the top-ranked Japanese fighter in the world, a well-traveled athlete, and was 2-0 in the octagon. In the featherweight division of the UFC, Jose Aldo is undoubtedly one of the greatest mma fighters in the world. He is a tough contender, so it is understandable for any man to be distressed to even stand by him, let alone fight with him in the octagon. Unless of course that is your professional career.
So goes the story for Hioki who turned down a title shot with Aldo in April. Apparently, he truly felt like he was not ready to fight the champion. He believed he needed more octagon time, and more experience in the cage to put on the best performance for Aldo. Honestly though, all that would happen, best case scenario, would be Hioki would fight one or two top contenders in the featherweight division, beat them, and then once again have a chance to fight Aldo. It was an extremely poor decision on his part.
So he instead accepted a fight with Ricardo Lamas for UFC on FX 4. So on June 22 what happened? He lost. The idea of himself not being good enough to fight the champion now played into his mental game of fighting period. If you tell yourself you cannot win, you start to believe that you actually cannot win. I believe this was Hioki’s main downfall for his loss to Lamas. Maybe he truly wasn’t ready for a shot at the title, but as a professional athlete he never should have declined the offer. We can all remember in 2003 when Pete Spratt declined a title fight against then welterweight champion Matt Hughes. Now the title of refusing a title shot has been given to Hioki. If you are going to be in a business like professional mma fighting, you must always believe in yourself. This immensely improves your physical and mental game. Learn the lesson from Hioki: Always take a title shot when offered.
Perhaps one of the most intense struggles between two men in the professional world of combative sport occurred on April 15, 1985, at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, Nevada. Marvin Hagler and Thomas Hearns fought for the undisputed world middleweight cham…
Perhaps one of the most intense struggles between two men in the professional world of combative sport occurred on April 15, 1985, at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Marvin Hagler and Thomas Hearns fought for the undisputed world middleweight championship, but as soon as the first round finally came to a close, all who were watching knew that this wasn’t a contest anymore: It was a brutal struggle for something worth more than any title.
The first round of their fight is still (and rightly, in my opinion) considered one of the very best in the history of boxing, and in 1985 the bout was awarded “Fight of the year” honors by the bible of boxing, Ring Magazine, which dubbed the fight as “the most electrifying eight minutes ever.”
And they couldn’t have been more accurate.
Hagler vs. Hearns had it all—drama, aggression, courage, skill and blood—all mined under the shadow of a violent ending that loomed above all like a taskmaster that would accept nothing less than total war.
There was something about this fight that was bigger than both men, and they fought like everything in the world depended on it.
But the world of combative sport does not belong to boxing alone.
Mixed Martial Arts has been a presence in the fight game of America (and the world) for many years now. During that time, some excellent fights have been won and lost in the first round.
But is that good enough? Does MMA have any fights that produced a first round worthy of consideration alongside the first frame of “Marvelous” Marvin Hagler vs. Tommy “The Hitman” Hearns?
I say “yes,” and in doing so offer 10 candidates from the world of MMA (in no specific order) that had first rounds just as good as that seen on April 15, 1985.
And if they’re not “just as good,” they’re real damn close.
At what point in a fighter’s career is it considered cruel and unusual punishment to allow them to compete? Sure, Randy Couture fought until he was 47, and Dan Severn is still beating up any homeless person that accidentally stumbled into the cage for a pint of Guinness and a pat on the back, but those gents are simply the exceptions that prove the rule. Guys like Ken Shamrock, on the other hand, are doing nothing more than shortening their lifespan each time they step into the ring, and for what? An attempt to recapture some former glory, or a feeling of youth? We know it damn sure isn’t in the hopes of recapturing a title, but then again, a passion is a passion, and if an obviously past their prime athlete wants to continue fighting at the detriment of their own health, who are we to say otherwise? It’s up to the promoters to cut them loose, not the fighters, and as we’ve seen in the story of Scott Hall, sometimes it is these very promoters who seem unable to make that distinction.
We’re rambling, of course, about the reports that BJJ/coaching legend Renzo Gracie is preparing for a second run in the UFC. At age 45.
Now, we’re not here to bash a freakin’ Gracie of all people for wanting to give the UFC another go, but this just seems like a terrible idea in every sense of the word.
At what point in a fighter’s career is it considered cruel and unusual punishment to allow them to compete? Sure, Randy Couture fought until he was 47, and Dan Severn is still beating up any homeless person that accidentally stumbled into the cage for a pint of Guinness and a pat on the back, but those gents are simply the exceptions that prove the rule. Guys like Ken Shamrock, on the other hand, are doing nothing more than shortening their lifespan each time they step into the ring, and for what? An attempt to recapture some former glory, or a feeling of youth? We know it damn sure isn’t in the hopes of recapturing a title, but then again, a passion is a passion, and if an obviously past their prime athlete wants to continue fighting at the detriment of their own health, who are we to say otherwise? It’s up to the promoters to cut them loose, not the fighters, and as we’ve seen in the story of Scott Hall, sometimes it is these very promoters who seem unable to make that distinction.
We’re rambling, of course, about the reports that BJJ/coaching legend Renzo Gracie is preparing for a second run in the UFC. At age 45.
Now, we’re not here to bash a freakin’ Gracie of all people for wanting to give the UFC another go, but this just seems like a terrible idea in every sense of the word. For starters, Gracie has been inactive for over two years. Secondly, the last time he did step into the octagon, he made Matt Hughes look like Mirko Cro Cop circa 2005, getting picked apart on the feet until getting mercifully put out of his misery late in the third round. And the fact that he looked completely gassed en route to that TKO loss doesn’t bode well either. For Christ’s sake, Gracie’s last legit win came all the way back in December of 2006 when he scored a split decision over fellow IFL coach Carlos Newton.
But despite all of this, Gracie told MMAJunkie that he was “getting ready to fight again,” stating:
I have a six-fight contract with no predetermined time frame. I still have five fights to go, so I plan to jump back into it. I love this sport. The day that a promoter won’t book me to fight, even for free, that’s when I’ll quit.
Well, if that is truly Gracie’s stance on the matter, then we’d like to wish him the best of luck. But does he honestly expect to compete FIVE MORE TIMES in the sport’s highest promotion? That’s a freaking death sentence.
We can’t even believe we’re asking this, but who, if anyone, would you like to see Gracie face if he is actually called back to the UFC? Put us in the camp that wants to see the UFC resign Pat Militech and have these two square off once again, because why not at this point?
Hell, they could set up a whole senior’s league if they want. Just think about it: pay-per-views could start airing at 3 p.m., and the participants could fight for a year long membership to the Old Country Buffet. Kazushi Sakuraba could reignite and old rivalry, and we could finally be treated to a trilogy match between Tank Abbott and Scott Ferrozzo. Sounds like a plan, does it not?
