With Dana White’s recent announcement of the newly added 125-pound flyweight division and its subsequent four-man tournament to crown a champion. The MMA world is now buzzing over the excitement that the division will potentially bring to the organizat…
With Dana White‘s recent announcement of the newly added 125-pound flyweight division and its subsequent four-man tournament to crown a champion. The MMA world is now buzzing over the excitement that the division will potentially bring to the organization.
The excitement is understandable. The recently added 135- and 145-pound weight classes have been a welcome addition, giving us some of the best fights of the year.
Presumably the new 125-pound flyweight division will do the same.
But is it the right move for the UFC?
One thing that has separated MMA from the almost-dead sport of boxing is that with only the limited amount of weight classes, there aren’t as many champions—so being a champion actually means something.
Including the new flyweight division, there are now four weight division that are only separated by 10 pounds a piece. Does the UFC really need this many divisions for the lower-weight fighters.
White and the UFC have got to where they are today by being great innovators within the industry, why not blaze their own trail when it comes to weight classes?
A better solution would have been to combine the bantamweight and flyweight divisions by creating a 130-pound weight class. This would force the larger 135ers to compete at 145 and still allow the smaller 135ers to compete at a better weight class for them.
If the UFC wants to create yet another weight class, why not add a cruiserweight division?
After Jon Jones’ UFC 140 victory over Lyoto Machida. Critics have claimed that he only wins due to his incredible size advantage over most light heavyweights. While Jones doesn’t actually cut that much weight to get into his weight division as some fighters, weight cutting has always been a controversial issue in the sport.
Fighters such as Anthony “Rumble” Johnson can walk around at weights of up to 50 pounds above their weight division. While Johnson recently moved to middleweight—a more natural weight class for him—he may have made that move earlier if there was a cruiserweight division.
A cruiserweight division would likely be around 225. Twenty pounds above the 205 division and 40 pounds below the 265-pound weight limit for heavyweight.
The immediate drawback would be the already-thin heavyweight division losing fighters, but this move would allow the heavyweight limit to be raised to something like 280—allowing larger athletes who may not be able to make 265 a chance to make it to the sport’s largest promotion.
If these changes were to occur, the weight classes would look like this:
Bantamweights: 130
Featherweights: 145
Lightweights: 155
Welterweights: 170
Middleweights: 185
Light Heavyweights: 205
Cruiserweights: 225
Heavyweights: 280
Eight different weight division that could be competitively filled. The addition of the cruiserweight division could create a trickle-down effect that would allow fighters to fight at a more natural weight without fear of running into much larger opponents.
As the sport of MMA grows, more athletes of all sizes and builds will begin to pick up the sport. The UFC would be doing themselves a favor by creating weight classes that reflects the future of the sport.
UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre underwent surgery earlier today to repair a knee injury that he suffered a few weeks ago.According to MMAFighting.com, the surgery was conducted under Dr.Neal ElAttrache, one of the most renowned surgeons in …
UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre underwent surgery earlier today to repair a knee injury that he suffered a few weeks ago.
According to MMAFighting.com, the surgery was conducted under Dr.Neal ElAttrache, one of the most renowned surgeons in sports medicine and a current team physician for Major League Bseball’s Los Angeles Dodgers.
St-Pierre suffered the injury by overcompensating it during a wrestling training session a couple of weeks ago.
The champion, who had recently come off a minor injury to his left knee, felt pain in his right knee but attempted to continue.
The St. Isidore native continued his training camp with no swelling in his knee, but the pain only worsened.
St-Pierre underwent an MRI to reveal that he had a torn ACL in his right knee that will force him to withdraw from his upcoming title bout against Nick Diaz, scheduled for February 6th at UFC 143.
St-Pierre’s personal physician, Dr. Sebastien Simard, explained during a recent teleconference that the surgery was mandatory and it would reconstruct the champion’s ACL, as well as repair some damage to his meniscus.
Simard was optimistic that St-Pierre will return to the UFC in the future, but the injury should require him to be out of action for six to nine months depending on the rehabilitation process.
In the meantime, an interim welterweight title bout was scheduled due to St-Pierre’s absence, and Carlos Condit and Nick Diaz will meet in the main event at UFC 143.
After earning the biggest win of his career over Cain Velasquez earlier this year at UFC on FOX 1, newly-crowned UFC heavyweight champion Junior dos Santos is eagerly anticipating his next challenger. The winner of the upcoming headliner between B…
After earning the biggest win of his career over Cain Velasquez earlier this year at UFC on FOX 1, newly-crowned UFC heavyweight champion Junior dos Santos is eagerly anticipating his next challenger.
The winner of the upcoming headliner between Brock Lesnar and Alistair Overeem at UFC 141 will meet the champion in a title bout next year while he recovers from knee surgery.
The 27-year-old has aspirations of defending the heavyweight crown in front of his home country, and he is hoping to do it in his first title defense against either Lesnar or Overeem.
“I really want to fight in Brazil,” dos Santos told TATAME.com. “There’ll be many events in Brazil, like Dana (White) said himself. So I want my first title defense to be in Brazil.”
The company will make its second trip back to Brazil early next year to host UFC 142 when countryman Jose Aldo defends his UFC featherweight title against Chad Mendes. Also on the card is a middleweight bout between Vitor Belfort and Anthony “Rumble” Johnson.
With South America currently on the radar, the UFC intends on visiting Brazil as much as possible next year. With UFC 142 already planned for January 16, the company is rumored to return by mid-next year, likely in June.
And with a potential event on the horizon, dos Santos, who reflected on his recent victory over Velasquez, sees himself being involved.
“When I punched him, I saw him going down and I could tell it was easy for me to knock him out and, even before the referee stopped the contest, I could feel that thrill,” he said. “I can’t really explain the way I feel. I’m really happy. It’s an incredible feeling.”
Mis-con-cep-tion n. A mistaken thought, idea, or notion, a misunderstandingWhen the untrained ear hears the letters MMA or UFC, the misconceptions begin flowing almost immediately. For those who really know what those acronyms represent, the…
Mis-con-cep-tion n. A mistaken thought, idea, or notion, a misunderstanding
When the untrained ear hears the letters MMA or UFC, the misconceptions begin flowing almost immediately.
For those who really know what those acronyms represent, there is no explanation necessary. For those who do not understand, the sad fact of the matter is, they begin to picture nightmarish, sub-human, knuckle-dragging Neanderthals who know nothing more than blood lust and relentless violence.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
Even in the darkest days of mixed martial arts, the competitors were nothing more than misunderstood athletes who desired only to prove their style of martial arts were superior to others. While that dispute was held inside a chain link Octagon and the basis of the sport was indeed violent, that was not the entire story.
That competition amongst some of the world’s top martial artists became the foundation of one of the most world class and highly contested sports on the planet in less than two decades.
That evolution from karate vs. judo or boxing vs. wrestling elevated from event to event to become athlete against athlete featuring all facets of hand-to-hand combat arts in a representation of something that has become an eclectic mixture of technique, ability, heart and desire.
Those traits could never be found in bar brawls or street fights. They are not found among less than integral beings who seek nothing more than to inflict pain on another individual. Those traits can only be found among the most world class of people, the most driven and aspiring of individuals.
The evolution of MMA has seen that truth come to light, as the sport has scratched and clawed its way to acceptance among the doubters and critics. That evolution has not come just among MMA brands and the athlete. That evolution has come on all fronts, among the fans, promoters, venues, legislators, and most importantly, among the critics who have evolved to understand just exactly what this community is really all about.
This mixed martial arts community is made of much more than fighters. The fighter is indeed the heartbeat, the essence of what makes MMA what it has become. But from the fighter to the promoter to the coaches and fans, MMA is a community of people who rise above the negative misconceptions that surround their sport.
Nowhere is that more apparent than in the charitable efforts found scattered throughout the MMA community. Examples range from Xtreme Couture’s efforts to support the men and women of the armed services to Tuff-N-Uff Amateur Fighting Championships sending fighters out to work with at-risk youth in the Las Vegas community. The examples of this sport and the people who truly are MMA and how they give back to their communities are countless and priceless.
Another component of the MMA community has stepped up to further those efforts that reflect the true quality of the people found within this business. The Arizona fight community is no stranger to breeding superstars in the game of MMA.
Names like Don Frye, Dominick Cruz, Ben Askren, Ben Henderson, Ryan Bader and countless more warriors have current or former Arizona ties. So it is no surprise that such a strong fight family resides in the scorching desert. That community is pulling together for the most noble of causes this holiday season.
Fight camps, fight clothing brands, news outlets, retailers and promoters are all pooling their efforts for one common cause. At times like these, it would be hard to name many more important efforts to raise the spirits of a community, all the while changing those misconceptions of those behind this sport.
When we say times like these, what we mean is a time in our country where children are celebrating this holiday season without those who mean the most to them. With the conflicts consuming this world, there are those who never had a choice and will be missing one of, if not both of, their parents over the holidays.
It is with great pride that we celebrate our men and women of the armed services. As a nation, we cherish their sacrifices in the name of what most would agree is a duty they serve protecting that which we feel is worth fighting for.
As a community built around fighting, for the right cause, we will always support the warrior in harm’s way without waiver.
Yet as their sacrifices are made, both in life and in death, there is a sea of teary eyes left behind praying for a safe return, or worst yet, a passing to a higher glory through the greatest of sacrifices. These children carry a burden that simply can never be repaid.
To have lost or to be made to miss a parent, the child deserves every bit as much gratitude for their own sacrifices in the name of a greater good. So it is with great purpose and a sense of undying gratitude that the Arizona fight community is calling on the entire MMA community.
Sitting inside of Boxing Inc. on the north side of Tucson, Arizona sits an MMA cage. With the help of the entire MMA community, the time has come to fill this cage with toys and gifts for military children who proudly offer their families into harm’s way.
It is time to show these brave young souls that while their parents may be across the globe fighting the good fight, that they indeed are not alone. That we stand with them and can all find it in our hearts to raise them up and show them our thoughts are with them. We can show them that we not only appreciate their parent’s efforts, but we thank the children for their unique sacrifices during these difficult times.
Filling the cage for kids is a simple effort for you and me. We drop 10, 20, 50 bucks and sleep like a baby that night. But for the children, it will mean so much more than that. It reminds them of exactly what their parents are fighting for.
We are a nation of patriots who—right or wrong, agree or disagree—believe in the right we have to do what we know is right. What could be more right than lifting the smile of a child who will be missing a loved one through the holidays?
Let’s remind them it is not their struggle to face alone, and that we indeed feel their absence or loss. And in the process, we might just go one step further to smash that misconception about who we are as a subculture.
This MMA community respects the warrior, perhaps more so than the average individual. To understand conflict, loss and victory, the heart and spirit that only a warrior can display, that leads us to sympathize with these men and women doing what it is they have to do.
Let’s rise up and fill this cage, people. Forget about the cage; let’s fill that gym with toys and tell these kids what we already know. We celebrate them and their families for the challenges they meet every day so you and I can sit back on a Saturday night and watch a fight.
How much did that last pay-per-view cost you, fight fan? Please do your parts to represent this sport, help a child and support military families who could use every bit of support we can give them.
If, for nothing else, to say thank you.
Self Killers Industries has pledged 25 cents for every like of their Facebook page. UFC featherweight George Roop has offered two tickets to the next UFC on FOX event for the cause. Hurtsbad MMA will offer one lucky fan the opportunity to be a guest host on The Truth Hurts Radio show when we welcome UFC bantamweight champion and upcoming Ultimate Fighter coach Dominick Cruz.
Also, Hurtsbad MMA is donating a signed MMA glove by UFC Hall of Famer and living legend Dan “The Beast” Severn as well. Dominick Cruz has donated a pair of signed gloves also.
To enter a drawing to win either UFC tickets, a guest host opportunity to interview Dominick Cruz or a Dan Severn or Dom Cruz autographed glove simply donate to the cause, and you will automatically be entered into the drawing.
Please send unwrapped toys or donations to:
Boxing, Inc. 4165 W Ina Rd No. 165, Tucson, AZ 85741-2257 (520) 744-7333
With questions or concerns, please ask for George Castro
This article originally featured at Hurtsbad MMA. Follow us on Twitter @hurtsbadmma.
Dana White’s dreams of making MMA the biggest sport in the world will come true by 2020. As a rabid fan of MMA, do you ever just stop and say, “wow, how’d we get this far?” I do a lot, and it’s all still very surreal to me. Just…
Dana White’s dreams of making MMA the biggest sport in the world will come true by 2020.
As a rabid fan of MMA, do you ever just stop and say, “wow, how’d we get this far?” I do a lot, and it’s all still very surreal to me. Just about everywhere I look I see someone sporting a Tapout shirt. With the UFC starting to show fights on Fox, dare I say this sport has finally gone mainstream?
Back in 2005, I used to look at this sport as an underground obsession that hardly anyone knew about. Now, people from all over are talking about the UFC, and I believe this growth in popularity has just begun.
The biggest reason why I say that is the Fox deal. More and more people are going to be flipping through the channels, catch a fight on TV., watch it, like it and sooner or later, they’ll be just like us.
That’s how we all got hooked right? In my case, I saw Tito Ortiz fighting on Spike, and I thought it was the craziest sport I’d ever come across. I became obsessed with hating Ortiz and wanted someone to put him away badly, and there came “The Iceman.”
The rest is history, and in the past three years, I haven’t missed a PPV. It puts quite the strain on the wallet, but that’s a different article for a different day.
A big reason for UFC’s growth is not only because of how athletically gifted and talented the fighters are, but the company’s ability to market fights is second to none.
I always tell my friends that the UFC can make you believe any fight will be closely contested and strike a sense of curiosity to the average fan. Their numbers prove that.
Just look at what the UFC was able to do with their debut on Fox. They peaked around nine million viewers, and the fight lasted a little more than a minute. Not only did they do great in the United States, but it’s been heavily reported that the fight did around 60 million viewers in Brazil. That’s crazy.
The truth of the matter is White and his company have a sport that can translate in any language and any country. Everyone “gets” fighting.
It’s in our blood and it’s human nature to pick up your hands and go to combat with another person. We’ve seen it for century through various wars, and we’ve seen the success that the sport of boxing has had for nearly a century.
The NFL has experienced troubles going into other countries because football is an American sport. Most of the people from other countries don’t understand it, and that’s where White and the UFC have an advantage.
The bottom line is that this sport is one of the greatest sports in the world, and if you catch a glimpse of it, it’s easy to fall in love with it.
They have some of the best athletes in the world with most of them showing honor and respect, and it’s truly remarkable to watch these fighters pull these techniques off.
All they need is a platform to show the world, and this Fox deal for the next seven years is going to do just that. Look for the UFC to become a global phenomenon in the next decade.
Who is the best champion ever? That question sparks a never-ending debate of course. Some champions are better than others. A select few had careers that shone like a beacon above all others. In its short existence, Mixed Martial Arts has gen…
Who is the best champion ever? That question sparks a never-ending debate of course.
Some champions are better than others. A select few had careers that shone like a beacon above all others.
In its short existence, Mixed Martial Arts has generated more than its share of legends. Not all legends are champions. To truly be the man, you gotta beat the man. You have to become champion to put a stamp on your legacy and silence all doubters.
Some of the greatest champions ever, would go for years without ever losing and have fought all comers. Some were always coming back and reclaiming the title.
Here are the 25 champions that inspired greater awe, fear and wonder in those who watched them. As well as those who fought them. They dominated the sport of mixed martial arts.
With Dana White‘s recent announcement of the newly added 125-pound flyweight division and its subsequent four-man tournament to crown a champion. The MMA world is now buzzing over the excitement that the division will potentially bring to the organization.