Introduction to MMA
What is MMA?
Well it is all in the name! MMA = Mixed Martial Arts. Almost all the practitioners are skilled in multiple arts. One popular combo is Muay Thai for the stand up, Wrestling for takedowns and takedown defense and brazilian jiu jitsu for ground fighting and submissions!
But there are other combo's too, like boxing for stand up, Judo instead of Wrestling and Sambo. There is even a guy (Machida) that has a combo of traditional Shotokan Karate, Muay Thai, Sumo and BJJ.
In this day of age a fighter must be a master of multiple disciplines. A guy who is only good at striking will be taken down and neutralized. A ground specialist is going to be KTFOd.
Stand-up, ground fighting, wrestling, what the hell are you talking about?
Well the stand-up part of the fight is easy to understand. Both guys are standing and they try to strike (kicking, punching, kneeing elbowing) each other, or close the distance.
If fighters get real close to each other they start to hug. This hug is called a clinch, because that sounds more manlier . There are various option here. You can knee or elbow from the clinch, you can try to take your opponent down or you could prevent to be taken down if you prefer to stand.
There is also a different way to take down an opponent, by shooting. Shooting is basically diving towards his leg to topple the guy. If the opponent does not see it coming, he will be on his back.
The last one is ground fighting. This is slower and more methodical. Trying to get a position to submit your opponents with various techniques, like armbars, chokes, leglocks, etc. This techniques are designed to choke someone out or break his limb. To prevent that a fighter submits before this happens. This can be by tapping or verbally submitting.
There is also another option on the ground, and that option is striking. Also known as ground and pound. In other words, you lay on top of them and punch them in the face.Ã���Ã��Ã�Â
So how do you win?
The cool thing about MMA is that are various ways to win. You can win by KO or TKO. You can win by submission or by decision. You can KO people on the ground, standing (or in the air if you are Fedor). You can submit people by chokes, leg locks, neck cranks or even by punches (they tap if they had enough). So many options, so many ways to win or lose.
Submissions tell me more
There are various techniques I will explain the most common ones.
The armbar
With this move you hyperextend the elbow if he does not tap, it will break very easily. There are various variations. The picture shows the basic ones. But you can also do the armbar from the bottom. There is even a flying variation, which is used to submit a standing guy. It is a high risk move though.
Shoulder locks
These move can rip your shoulder of, it can be applied on the top, bottom or even standing.
Triangle Chokes
This move is awesome, you use your legs to cut of circulation to the head. Causing your opponent to faint! It is usually preformed at the bottom, but there is a flying version of it. Yep you heard it right, there is a bloody flying version of it. Oh the humanity. Genki Sudo was a master of the flying triangle.
Chokes
There are many different chokes, but they can have two effect. It can cut off the blood circulation to the head, causing you to faint. It usually takes 5-10 seconds before someone faints, so once the choke is set in, it can go very quickly.
Another way is to close the wind pipe. This way take a whole lot longer, but it is also a lot more painful.
So with all the moves, do all fighters fight the same?
Hell, no! There are different type of fighters, there are guys who are good strikers. So they use their wrestling skills to keep the fight standing and use their ground skills mostly defensively. There are ground guys who want to take it to the ground and there are all-rounders who can do both.
Even among strikers there are many different types. You have guys who go balls out insane, you have guys who are very illusive, etc. You have kung-fu guys, Muay Thai, Karate, etc. The same is true for all the other disciplines.
So who is my favorite fighter?
Fedor no questions asked.
So they all fight in this UFC thing I have heard about, right?
Wrong, there are many different MMA organizations around the world. In America you have Strikeforce, UFC and Affliction. In Japan you have Sengoku, Dream and Pancrase. I mentioned only 6, but there are a lot more.
So can you tell me more about some of the biggest MMA organisations?
Yes
So?
So what?
Tell me more about these big organizations!
Okay, if you insist
The UFC is currently by far the biggest MMA organization. It all started in November 12 1993 as a no hands barred contest. There were only 2 rules, no biting and eye gouging. There were no round and no weight classes. The fight would last until a guy was KOd or until he submitted.
In the early days each fighter had his own style, so it was styles vs styles. A boxer vs a wrestler, a kickboxer vs a Sumo guy, etc. This slowly changed until the fighters were more well rounded like they are today.
The UFC is also the place were the Octagon is invented. Basically is a octagon shaped cage. This is were the term cage fighting is from
Today there are far more rules and the sport is the fastest growing sport in the States. The sport is becoming more and more accepted.
Started in 1997 to match popular Japanese pro-wrestler Nobuhiko Takada with Rickson Gracie. This proved such a success, they started their own promotion. In the heydays of Pride it was even bigger than the UFC. It was shown on Fuji TV in Japan and was also very popular worldwide.
But after Fuji TV dropped their support because of alleged links with the Yakuza, Pride was in trouble. They were then brought by Zuffa the parent company of the UFC, and now they do not exist. So sad.
Later more organizations
Okay, if you insist!
I only watched 3 fight so I will focus on those 3!
GSP vs Thiago Alves
GSP is the man. He took Alves down at will and he was winning the stand up exchange too and he even scored a knock down. I liked his superman puch lowkick combo. Alves was also doing well. GSP had trouble passing his half guard. Anytime he went for the sidemount Alves stood up, and after some clinching, they were again standing and trading again. Alves also did this constantly without gassing, which is very impressive.
Some improvments GSP could make, is in his clinch game. Judo would have helped GSP in this fight. Everytime when Alves stood up they was a clinch phase. With some Judo trips GSP could have taken it to the ground immediately. With a hip throw he would have ended in side mount. Also it easier to combine striking with Judo throws. You can punch, elbow, clinch throw, sidemount, etc. That's one of Fedor's biggest strength, the transition from striking to throwing is seamless.
Brock Lesnar vs Frank Mir
Brock looked very impressive in this fight. He remained calm and loaded up his shot and he made Mir ugly. Once he has Mir trapped against the cage it was basically over. I also liked Brock's rape choke.
Mir looked horrible and I am not just talking about his face afterwards. He had many opportunities to go for a full guard but he did nothing. He just kept laying on the floor. At least pretend you are trying something. Squirm a bit.
Lesnar looked weak in the stand-up. Mir really had him rocked there and Mir is not a good striker by any means. Brock really needs to work on his stand-up defense, because one punch from Carwin and it's all over.
Sexiyama vs Belcher
What the hell, Belcher kicks the Sexiness in his nuts and breaks his face. Burn the witch now. Sexy has some nice Judo trips, but he should have used them more. And he should not block punches with his face on purpose. And check those leg kicks dammit. Belcher did alright, but should have been more aggresive with the leg kicks. He could have TKO'd Sexiyma! Oh and the wall jump superman puch was sweet
Some other things
Bisping was KTFO hard!
And here is Brock vs Fedor
I dont understand half the stuff you talked about. I just saw men grabbing each other on the floor, one was in charge and the other was not.
Okay enough about UFC 100
Time for Affliction Trilogy
Some pictures of Fedor training
Oh crap Barnett, Fedor is ready
This is the sport Rugby players dream of, but are not comfortable enough to play.
Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!
Fedor-Barnett Bout in Jeopardy
Affliction Entertainment and M-1 Global are looking for a new opponent to face Fedor Emelianenko at Affliction “Trilogy” on Aug. 1 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif.
Multiple sources have told Sherdog.com that the California State Athletic Commission will not license Josh Barnett after a positive test result. Calls to Affliction Entertainment were not immediately returned. The CSAC said a comprehensive statement would be issued Wednesday.
Vitor Belfort has agreed in principle to face the world’s No. 1 heavyweight on 11 days’ notice, according to two separate sources close to the negotiations. One source told Sherdog.com that Emelianenko will have the opportunity to choose between Belfort and Bobby Lashley. Lashley has denied knowing anything about replacing Barnett, though.
link
No I was so looking forward to this match. Dammit
I cannot believe this crap. I want to see a good Fedor fight and then it gets screwed up at the end. Fedor would have beaten that idiot on steroids.
Affliction Cancels ‘Trilogy’
A week of misfortune turned to disaster for Affliction Entertainment on Friday, as the promotion canceled Affliction “Trilogy,” which had been scheduled for Aug. 1 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif.
“Finding an opponent for the number one-ranked MMA heavyweight champion in such a short period of time was a huge endeavor, and I’m thrilled at the amount of fighters willing to take on this challenge,” Affliction Entertainment Vice President Tom Atencio said in a news release. “But in the end, we just didn’t have enough time to promote a new fight to our standards.”
SI.com reported the news first Friday morning, and Sherdog.com confirmed shortly after. The cancellation -- which could spell the end of Affliction's year-long run as a mixed martial arts promotion -- comes on the heels of heavyweight Josh Barnett's failed drug test, which forced him out of the “Trilogy” main event against Fedor Emelianenko on Wednesday. Barnett, 32, tested positive for a banned anabolic steroid and was denied licensure by the California State Athletic Commission.
Promoters scrambled to find a replacement opponent for Emelianenko and reportedly considered middleweight Vitor Belfort, light heavyweight prospect Muhammed Lawal and heavyweights Brett Rogers, Paul Buentello, Jeff Monson and Bobby Lashley.
Atencio declined to comment further when reached by Sherdog.com.
Wow, this is crap. I was really looking forward to this card. It was even better than UFC 100. Yvel vs Buentello, Mousasi vs Babalu, Santiago vs Belfort, Fedor vs Barnett! I was planning to watching it live live we did back at Affliction 2.
Dead indeed. This should be interesting, at the least.