Loading ...Mano A Mano
Humility? I don't know what that means.
by Sieck
There’s nothing quite like watching two guys beat each other up, especially for sport. While I’m not a proponent of violence in the real world, two evenly matched warriors throwing down in a regulated environment is perhaps the purest form of entertainment (and possibly athletic pursuit) that there is. Beyond that, there’s a primal aspect to it, much like a bone in the nose or a plate in the lip that just makes it feel right. There’s not a bigger supporter of fighting in the NHL than myself, I’m all for a batter charging the mound to settle differences between teams, and I would even go so far to say that if fisticuffs were allowed in the NBA, it might solve a lot of problems (on and off the court). That’s why there’s no one happier than me to see the sport of mixed-martial arts (MMA) taking off in a big way. The sport is becoming more popular than a virgin on prom night, and it’s my estimation that it soon will thankfully eclipse the stale sport of boxing as the default setting for gladiators and the warrior code. I know, everyone’s going to say I just contradicted myself, that I should love boxing because it exemplifies everything I just eloquently waxed poetic about. Well, I used to love boxing and would still love it if the game was actually about fighting, but I don’t believe it is anymore. Anyway, more on that later, let’s stay on topic. Recently, the UFC held its 100th fight card, and I feel the event was a rousing success and one of the first steps in claiming the title as the best of the combat sports. Let’s shed some light on this to scatter the roaches, shall we?
Georges St-Pierre: I'm so tough, I can beat guys with hurt privates.
I remember watching during the old days of the UFC back when Royce Gracie was ruling the cage, and quite frankly, I often found it boring. Nothing against Gracie, he’s obviously a master, but all he often did was smother his opponents, which wasn’t very engaging to watch. Additionally, MMA was a bit of a free-for-all back in the day, with questionable practices that perhaps weren’t in the spirit of a fair fight. This was so much a problem that the “sport” was illegal in many areas. Enter Dana White. The aspiring businessman who, along with his partners, bought the failing UFC for a mere one million dollars (I know, chump change to most) is the best thing to ever happen to MMA. He immediately instituted clear rules and weight classes that legitimized the sport. Since then, the UFC has steadily become a juggernaut, and this was no more apparent than after the conclusion of UFC 100.
First, for the uninitiated, MMA is just that, a mixture of fighting styles: boxing, wrestling, karate, Muay Thai, jiu jitsu, etc. There was plenty of all this featured during the event, which resulted in a tremendous showcase for the sport. Second, former WWE wrestler Brock Lesnar took on Frank Mir to unify the heavyweight title in a much-anticipated and contentious rematch. While Mir took the first meeting (perhaps luckily), Lesnar dominated the second matchup and halted the fight in the second round (as opposed to my first round prediction) with a brutal ground and pound game (the art of dominating a grounded opponent with strikes). While I respect Lesnar’s athletic talent, I’m certainly not a fan, and his post-fight comments are a good indicator why. He disrespected Mir, the sponsor (Bud Light), and therefore the fans. Lesnar needs to remember that this isn’t the WWE anymore, and such theatrics are not appreciated. However, it did give people something to talk about, and I do respect and appreciate that he did at least have the decency to be a man and later step up to apologize. Next, Georges St-Pierre successfully defended his welterweight title in another dominating performance against Thiago Alves, and he even did it after severely pulling his groin in the third round. St-Pierre completely neutralized the Muay Thai of Alves with fluent transitions between wrestling and standup striking, further cementing his reputation as one of the best fighters in the world and a great superstar to represent the sport. Finally, Dan Henderson scored a vicious second-round knockout of Michael Bisping, further demonstrating that MMA isn’t just about men rolling on the floor with one another.
In conclusion, UFC 100 should provide plenty of evidence why MMA should surpass boxing in popularity, and it’s time the rest of the world take notice. I haven’t been excited about boxing since Lennox Lewis retired. Friends tell me that I need to watch the lower weight classes, but that still doesn’t matter. Nine times out of ten, no matter what the class is, boxing has degenerated into two men dancing around like nancies (a la Dave Matthews) as they try not to get hit. Furthermore, MMA uses four-ounce gloves, unlike the gigantic gloves used in boxing, Therefore, punches are much more devastating and entertaining, especially knockouts. Besides, no one is allowed to kick their opponents in the face in boxing. Who doesn’t love that? Also, it’s worth mentioning that the fix may be in with boxing and may have been for a long time. Luckily, I don’t think corruption has crept into MMA, yet. That’s proof in itself why the sport needs to take its rightful place, right up there with football, baseball, hockey and basketball.
Purists can still watch the Flyweights throw 1,000 punches each and enjoy it, and quite frankly, I can too. Evolution of the fight game is what makes the UFC so entertaining. Mixed martial arts is exactly that, a combination of fighting styles in the quest of finding the unbeatable style. Machida seems unbeatable, and believe me, his fights are not action packed, but the man rarely gets hit. Then Lesnar comes along and just mauls his opponents with an aggression that can only be called animal like. Add in personalities that are unscripted and have some rage behind them and you have the beauty that is the UFC. Grab a beer, order the fights, and enjoy the new age of sports entertainment.
I love UFC and have for years, I’d watch an MMA fight over boxing any day.
Although I missed this previous fight between Mir and Lesnar due to camping in the woods the fight solidified my dislike for Lesnar even more. As you and Dana White stated he isn’t in WWE anymore and needs to start acting like a true MMA fighter. He seems to be improving his fighting skills but he also needs to improve his sportsmanship.
Also, whats your opinion on Dana White’s decision to allow Kimbo Slice on the UFC show to prove himself as a MMA fighter?
Okay, I know old guys who are die hard boxing fans. Loved the sport for years. Every single one of them guys have said the sport is almost dead, if not already dead. The sport was ruined by Don King, remember when people used to fo nuts hearing about an upcoming Tyson Fight? Or Foreman? Or Lewis? Now people have a lightweight fight between two mexicans to look forward to? The lightweights dance for an hour, the heavyweights hug for an hour. This is a sport? Or do you want to see 3 to 5 rounds of guys really fighting, trying to knock the other guys lights out, or break their arm, etc. Lets not take advice from Lew, i lived with him for many years, he was not into boxing that much. Zuz likes it, so he does too. This is a trend. UFC has taken over, Boxing is close to extinct. Im done.