Ray Lewis is looking for the next chapter in his life. MMA fighter Rampage Jackson is looking to leave UFC and possibly start boxing or perhaps fight in Japan. The two stars are both in store for some pretty significant life changes. So, we couldn…
Ray Lewis is looking for the next chapter in his life. MMA fighter Rampage Jackson is looking to leave UFC and possibly start boxing or perhaps fight in Japan.
The two stars are both in store for some pretty significant life changes. So, we couldn’t resist finding out what a Rampage Jackson vs. Ray Lewis fight would look like. Imagine Ray coming into the Octagon, squirrel dance and all. Rampage would be staring Lewis down something fierce.
For more on how this fight would go down, check out the video above as Rampage tells us first-hand. Let us know who you’d take in a Jackson vs. Lewis fight in the comments below.
In what would turn out to be an especially bloody night for some fighters, it marked another great night of fights in the UFC. Ironically, it was actually one of the prelims that had many fans cringing.In the lightweight showdown between Matt Wiman and…
In what would turn out to be an especially bloody night for some fighters, it marked another great night of fights in the UFC. Ironically, it was actually one of the prelims that had many fans cringing.
In the lightweight showdown between Matt Wiman and T.J. Grant, we saw Grant finish Wiman in an impressive, albeit bloody fashion. There was one combo, especially, that had Wiman hurt, and that had Grant looking to finish up the fight early.
While Wiman had escaped the grips of defeat, he was cut open in the process. This prompted Grant to follow up with several elbows to the face of Wiman. After a flurry of devastating elbows, Wiman was knocked down, and Grant pounced on his bloody adversary.
After Wiman couldn’t defend against Grant’s ground-and-pound anymore, the referee stopped the match. While Wiman was a bloody mess, he wasn’t showing many, if any signs of being concussed.
One of the main concerns in sports today is the safety of the athletes. One week ago, we saw Ravens safety Bernard Pollard lay a bone-crushing, helmet-to-helmet hit on Patriots running back Stevan Ridley.
Now, the NFL is largely considered to be one of the safer contact sports in the world, especially when compared to MMA, but is it really? Sure, we have seen many calamitous injuries in MMA, but we have also seen many of the same type of injuries in the NFL.
So why is it that MMA catches a bad rep for being dangerous, and even barbaric? It is no secret that the NFL is trying to make the game safer for players, but is it really a safer sport? While MMA may seem more gruesome because of the gore and blood that goes along with being a fighter, it seems as though the NFL has many more career-ending injuries—and more often.
Yes, it is certainly not rare to see some guys walk away from a fight concussed, but recently, it seems as if it’s the NFL’s players who have been having more concussions. I believe that the chance to get seriously hurt in either of these sports is a lot more equal than people may think.
Take the fight between Erik Koch and Ricardo Lamas for example. Lamas brutalized Koch in what would turn out to be the bloodiest fight UFC fans have seen in awhile. After a subtle exchange between the fighters in the opening minutes, Lamas picked up the pace and landed some huge shots on Koch before eventually taking the fight to the ground.
Once on the ground, Lamas took top position and started raining down shot after shot, elbow after elbow. After a thunderous barrage of strikes, the referee stopped the fight, but it wasn’t before Koch had been busted wide open. While Koch was bloodied and hurt at the time, there has since been no reports that he had suffered a concussion or any serious head damage.
Perhaps, the reason why fighters don’t sustain as many head injuries as people would think is because of the team of doctors helping out each fighter before and after their fights. In the NFL, each club has a team doctor, but players have sometimes hid the fact that they are concussed in order to stay on the field or may not even realize they have suffered a concussion.
Troy Polamalu is one NFL player who has personally come out and said that he has lied to team doctors in order to stay in the game (via an interview with the Dan Patrick Show, h/t Vinnie Iyer of Sporting News). While it may not be the smartest idea in the world, it is a great display of heart, but at what cost? Polamalu said he had sustained “eight or nine” concussions in his career with the Steelers.
These guys know that it is their jobs to go out on the field and play, but surely, it is not worth risking their health in the long run. The NFLPA has come out and said that they want concussion experts. Sometimes, a player may not even realize he has suffered a concussion, and if he goes out again and takes another shot to the head, he could be in some serious danger.
By bringing in concussion specialists, this would eliminate any doubt and would also bolster a more health-conscious sport. No one wants to see a guy’s career end early due to injury. It’s interesting that the sport many people consider to be the most dangerous is actually one of the most health-conscious franchises in the world.
Having one-punch knockout power in MMA is a very beneficial thing to possess.You have the ability to end any fight with just a single punch. You’re never completely out of a fight because it can change with one well-placed fist.Some MMA fighters have t…
Having one-punch knockout power in MMA is a very beneficial thing to possess.
You have the ability to end any fight with just a single punch. You’re never completely out of a fight because it can change with one well-placed fist.
Some MMA fighters have this ability and use it to great effect in their fights. They have provided wicked knockouts that will live on highlight reels for years.
Check out some UFC fighters with dynamite in their fists.
I recently had an interesting conversation with a friend who is a parent of a baseball player. He rebuked my suggestion to have his son try a few free classes at a martial arts gym, citing how much fun baseball is. I reflected on this and have sin…
I recently had an interesting conversation with a friend who is a parent of a baseball player. He rebuked my suggestion to have his son try a few free classes at a martial arts gym, citing how much fun baseball is. I reflected on this and have since come up with many reasons as to why martial arts is infinitely more fun than baseball.
The fact that performing an art is more interactive makes this a one-sided argument. The fact that baseball lacks action compounds the advantages of training in martial arts as opposed to playing baseball.
This theory is based on using modern day methodology to teach martial arts such as boxing, Olympic wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, submission wrestling and Muay Thai. The comparison will not be using an antiquated model of martial arts training that dedicates classes to training katas and having students relentlessly perform repetitive kicking and punching.
Studying martial arts is superior to playing baseball because of the simple numbers game. In martial arts there are only two participants. In baseball, there are many more.
The most exciting part of the game is obviously batting. One only bats one out of nine times at best. In some leagues and at some levels, it is even less because the rule is to go through the entire team each time as opposed to using three outs. Also, not every player starts, so substitutes bat even less.
When one is not batting, they are in the field. How boring is that? It is more probable than not that in one inning in the field, the fielder (obviously outside of the pitcher and catcher) will not touch the ball.
A pitcher striking out the side is great for the team but not so engaging for any of the fielders looking to be participating in a fun sport. How many little leaguers have been seen pulling grass and sitting down in the field with their minds adrift?
Admittedly, pitching is different. The pitcher is involved in every aspect for half of the game. They have a very exciting and pivotal role in the game. Yet, a pitcher will often not even participate in more than one third of the team’s games. In leagues where they do pitch more frequently, it is not uncommon for them to pitch two or three innings, not even bat and then be done for the game.
A martial artist is involved in every instant of the entire contest. This is why it is an art and not a sport. One is a part of the creation process and is not relegated to being an observer. It is unfathomable for a boxer to wave to his family in the crowd or for a wrestler to drift off and daydream as outfielders (at the kid’s level) are so prone to do.
Renowned Sports Illustrated journalist and columnist Rick Reilly once sought to satisfy his curiosity as to how much action actually occurs in a baseball game.
Reilly recorded the amount of time the ball was in play in a Major League Baseball game in 2000 and determined that the ball was in play for a mere 12 minutes and 22 seconds in a game that lasted 3 hours and 15 minutes. Remember that this “action” is divided amongst a minimum of 18 players.
In comparing this to the martial arts mentioned, the time is only split between two participants. The amount of action is dependent on the athletes.
Yes, there may be times when a wrestling match lacks action or there is stalling in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, but baseball and martial arts are different, as one is not inherently void of action. A martial arts competition will always carry the potential for excitement, and while not every match will be robust with activity, that will be the result of the participants and not the sport.
In baseball, the athletes have less autonomy over their individual role. The coach will determine their position in the batting order and their position in the field. Having less of a say in what one does has an inverse relationship with one’s enjoyment of an activity.
In martial arts, one is on their own on the mat or in the ring. Yes, the coach has developed their skill, instructs during the match and helped develop a game plan, but the athletes make decisions and act upon their own reactions. The coach will not admonish a student for successfully hitting a double leg when the plan was to go for a single leg, nor for successfully landing a hook when the plan was to jab.
However in baseball, one could very easily find oneself playing right field or being the catcher when their dream is to be shortstop or a pitcher. Furthermore, one could be asked to bunt or to sacrifice oneself. In martial arts, if the competitor is having success and performing with correct technique, the coach will afford them that prerogative to use their own style.
In baseball, the batting order position determines stats. Those slotted in the 7-9 positions often find themselves with far fewer opportunities to score runs and to acquire runs batted in. This does not happen in martial arts. The coach cannot take away one’s opportunity to succeed.
The only control employed by a coach that might be negative is that they often dictate in which categories people compete. A lighter individual might have to compete in a heavier category for the sake of the team. This might negatively impact one’s win-loss record.
In baseball, a single player (non-pitcher) will often play a minimal role in determining the outcome of a game. For example, a player could go 4-of-4 with no errors and lose. Their performance was impeccable, but they go home without the satisfaction of victory. In martial arts, the best performance is rewarded with the glory of victory.
An amazing aspect about martial arts is that one can always evolve. A martial artist can practice and utilize a flying scissor sweep or attempt a flying arm bar in a competition. Whereas in baseball, it is just hitting, running and fielding. Perhaps one works hard on their bunting or a hook slide but that does not compare to the infinite amount of amazing moves a martial arts can learn, develop and actually apply.
Another challenge to enjoy baseball is the fact that the success factor is out of the players’ hands. In order for one to have success batting, they need the pitcher to throw them a ball that is capable of being struck. Intentional walks and being pitched around can eliminate a players opportunity for success. In order to make a great fielding play, the ball, which acts independently from the fielding players, needs to be hit at the right place and time.
In martial arts one does not depend on external factors to perform amazing feats; rather, they use science and create their own opportunities for success. The artist paints the story of the performance and is a more active participant and is not a victim of circumstance.
To hit a walk-off home run must be an awesome feeling, but one must always have that opportunity be presented to them. One cannot use any technique to create a heroic bottom of the ninth scenario while a knockout, pin or submission comes from using intelligence and technique to have personally created that success.
Furthermore, a martial artist is never out of the match until it ends. A late second knockout or submission erases any deficit. In baseball, the players lose interest and become discouraged once they have succumbed to what they perceive to be an insurmountable deficit.
Outside of the movies, a coach rarely instructs a fighter to intentionally break the rules to injure an opponent. In baseball, beaning a batter and brushing a batter back are considered sound and fair strategies. As well as spiking to break up a double play or running over the catcher at the plate.
One could also expound upon the benefits of learning respect and humility that is entwined with martial arts but that is difficult to quantify. Additionally, I will not discuss the obvious health benefits to martial arts over baseball nor safety, as it seems to be a point for another debate. The focus here is which is more fun to participate in.
Therefore, martial arts are far more fun to train in. The fact that one is master of their fate and the one-on-one thrill of being singularly responsible for one’s outcome make it far more engaging and exhilarating. I hope to share this article with my friend and hope that he will give his son a chance to experience the joy in learning a martial art.
Boxing fans always dream of attending the next Sugar Ray Leonard vs. Marvin Hagler fight; a titanic clash of champions going toe to toe for glory.Sometimes, that glory is over before it starts—or between one to fifteen seconds after, to be precis…
Boxing fans always dream of attending the next Sugar Ray Leonard vs. Marvin Hagler fight; a titanic clash of champions going toe to toe for glory.
Sometimes, that glory is over before it starts—or between one to fifteen seconds after, to be precise.
Some fighters just have porcelain chins and this is a tribute to all those nameless (and not so nameless) knockout victims everywhere.
Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal (8-1) is MMA’s man of the hour after signing a deal to join Bellator Fighting Championship and TNA Impact Wrestling.Thursday’s news couldn’t come at a better time for Lawal since the embattled Strikeforce veteran faced such a w…
Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal (8-1) is MMA’s man of the hour after signing a deal to join Bellator Fighting Championship and TNA Impact Wrestling.
Thursday’s news couldn’t come at a better time for Lawal since the embattled Strikeforce veteran faced such a whirlwind of endless drama in recent months. From serious knee surgery resulting in a life-threatening staph infection to a positive post-fight reading for Drostanolone to the controversy surrounding his calling a Nevada State Athletic Commissioner a “racist bitch,” Lawal seemed to be a negative news magnet for the MMA media lately.
Lawal suddenly changed from Zuffa’s goat into MMA’s golden goose as the word of his new cross-promotional contract spread. His journey from victim to victor might have been a painstaking one, but it certainly appears to be paying off right now.
The first hint of any writing on the wall leading to Lawal’s ultimate exit from Zuffa may have come when he compared Strikeforce to a dying cancer patient last year.
“It feels a little weird, because it’s not the same,” Lawal said in the wake of Zuffa, LLC’s formal announcement, proclaiming their acquisition of Strikeforce. “It’s like a cancer patient, like a dying cancer patient. That’s how I feel like the organization is. We’re just waiting for it to die, to pass. As long as I can get my fights in and they’re still around, I want to get them in.”
Zuffa didn’t pull the trigger on firing Lawal until March 27th of this year, perhaps due to Zuffa President and part-owner Dana White staying out of the fray and allowing Scott Coker to maintain a “business as usual” approach to running Strikeforce.
The tweet that broke the camel’s back for White resulted in profuse apologies from Lawal for the misunderstanding with the commissioner, but all to no avail. Bantamweight UFC Fighter Miguel Torres found himself in Lawal’s shoes last December after his own controversial tweet got him fired. The league hired Torres back after listening to his sincere apologies, but Lawal didn’t get anywhere near the same treatment. As a Strikeforce fighter, perhaps Lawal was more expendable than Torres.
Bellator appeared to be the most likely landing point for Lawal after Zuffa gave him his walking papers, but not many experts could have predicted a wrestling contract on top of a new MMA home for King Mo. For any MMA fighter with a background in wrestling, Lawal’s contract is intriguing and exciting. The unique arrangement is also bound to gain a tremendous amount of free press due to the novelty of such a deal and Viacom’s position to make it.
As far as Lawal is concerned, distance from Strikeforce does not make the heart grow fonder. Now situated in a strong position to bark back at his old bosses, Lawal let loose Thursday night on MMA Uncensored Live. The show is hosted on Spike TV, a station which is quickly turning into an anti-UFC platform.
TNA Impact Wrestling is also a Spike TV production.
During his leadoff appearance on MMA Uncensored Live, Lawal compared working for Zuffa to being out in the hot sun all day “begging for water” and added later that the company often treats fighters like numbers. He contrasted his relationship with Bellator and TNA by saying that it’s like working in air conditioning. Lawal also said his new employers are “more personable” than their Zuffa counterparts.
This move comes on the heels of the UFC snatching Hector Lombard (31-2) away from Bellator at the end of April, leaving the league without their middleweight champion.
The bold Lawal signing smacks of smart business sense, revenge, and perhaps even a hint directed to Alistair Overeem—sign with Bellator and you can wrestle out your MMA suspension with TNA. Viacom is not taking competition with the UFC lightly, and this could be the start of a chain reaction of similar signings their Zuffa colleagues can’t match or beat. Zuffa is notorious for not allowing participants in the league to fight elsewhere or compete in any other formal sport. Strikeforce fighters are grandfathered in to an extent, but that league is no longer a direct competitor of the UFC. Bellator is.
There are countless Zuffa fighters who might find a dual wrestling/MMA contract attractive from a financial perspective. This is not to mention all the other concrete and undocumented perks that such a deal would naturally provide. Though not all MMA fighters have significant wrestling backgrounds, there’s not many who don’t train in wrestling to stay up to par in the sport. This deal doesn’t just turn the heads of former high school and college wrestlers, it lays down the gauntlet for Zuffa and says “eat this.” The WWE is also a Viacom competitor, so this move and potential follow up signings like it mean Vince McMahon will have to stay on his toes as well.
Maybe even more important than the carrot this deal dangles in front of potential future dual-contract signers from other MMA leagues is the broader meaning of Mo’s signing—You can stay with Zuffa and be chastised for speaking out, or you can sign with the competition and be amply rewarded for being loud and proud.
Lawal will reportedly begin wrestling for TNA sometime before his current nine-month MMA suspension expires, clearing him to fight for Bellator. TNA Wrestling was founded in 2002 and airs programming every Thursday on Spike TV.
In what would turn out to be an especially bloody night for some fighters, it marked another great night of fights in the UFC. Ironically, it was actually one of the prelims that had many fans cringing.