Posted by pad-up 01 May 2013, 11:52:00
Controversies in MMA they Wish Had Not Occurred
Like any other sport, MMA has its share of controversies. The sport that is often criticized for the violence involved in it has seen several controversial decisions and happenings, some of which are highlighted below. Since it is difficult to rank controversies per se, the below given list is selected at random.
Jon "Bones" Jones Talks about His Hatred for Toy UFC Belts
This moment may not be considered controversial by some, but it deserves to be on the list for the kind of roar it received from fans. Jon Jones stated in an interview that he hates the plastic UFC belts sold in stores because people are able to get those without having to put it any effort.
This simple statement ended up damaging Jones’s image as fans started looking at him more as a loudmouth than a friendly fighter.
Dana White Uses Anti Gay Language
UFC’s president Dana White received an angry reaction from the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) when he used foul language against Loretta Hunt, an MMA journalist, and an unknown source. This was as a response to the criticism UFC received for the treatment of managers.
Dana White, taking it a step further, ended up including anti-gay slur ticking off many people the wrong way. The GLAAD thought that the president of a chief sports organization should not indulge in such acts. This not only brought bad publicity to UFC but also tarnished Dana White’s image who had to apologize.
Kimbo Slice-Seth Petruzelli Post Fight Fiasco
The original card for EliteXC was Kimbo Slice vs. Ken Shamrock, but the later had to back out as he got injured on the day of the fight and was replaced by Seth Petruzelli. This put Seth, a lightweight, against Kimbo Slice, a heavyweight and resulted in one of the most controversial fights in history.
Slice got knocked out by an off-balance jab by Petruzelli at the 14 seconds mark. This resulted in EliteXC not only losing one of its most marketable stars but the aftermath resulted in more damage.
Petruzelli confessed in a radio interview that the promoters persuaded him to just stand with Slice instead of taking him down. His comments attracted the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation and brought bad name to the organization and Kimbo Slice, even though no evidence of wrongdoing was found.
Chael Sonnen’s Trial
Chael Sonnen vs. Anderson Silva was considered a predictable match until Sonnen ended up dominating Silva for the better part of the match. He, however, ended up losing thanks to a triangle choke but received a huge round of applause for his performance.
Nonetheless, the main news was not his performance but what followed. Eventually it was announced that Sonnen's testosterone levels were above the normal level as per his post-fight test. This resulted in Sonnen’s suspension. He appealed against it and was given a slap on the wrist.
Things got worse when the man got in more controversy (money laundering, etc.) later on losing a major portion of his fans.
Did we miss anything? Feel free to share what you think is the most controversial moment in MMA.
Posted by pad-up 26 Apr 2013, 02:12:26
Possible Outcomes of a UFC Match
When you look at it there are only three outcomes of a UFC match: win, lose or draw. However, how one reaches such a decision deserves a lot of attention. There are many ways in which a UFC match may end.
All the possible match outcomes are discussed below in detail.
A great number of UFC matches end in submissions as most
UFC fighters are trained in submission and can lock hazardous moves like Kimura lock, ninja choke and calf slicer. A submission victory is said to occur when the fighter on whom the lock is applied verbally gives up or taps the opponent or the mat to show submission.
A referee stoppage may also occur if the fighter locked in a submission shows sign of excruciating pain (yelling etc.). Additionally, a technical submission may also occur when a fighter loses conscious or runs the risk of getting seriously injured due to the submission.
There are many knockout pros in
UFC. This is said to occur when a fighter goes unconscious as a result of a legal strike that may be a punch, a kick or anything else that knocks the daylights out of a fighter.
As mentioned above, a technical knockout occurs when a fight is stopped by an external force and not by the direct act of a fighter. There are three scenarios of technical knockouts. These include:
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Referee Stoppage: The referee decides to end the match when one of the fighters is not in a position to fight or defend.
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Doctor Stoppage: When a ringside doctor decides to stop a match if it becomes unsafe for a fighter to continue fighting. This may be due to injuries or excessive bleeding.
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Corner Stoppage: This occurs when a fighter's corner man signals a loss for their own fighter.
Judges' Decision
Matches in
UFC are scored by judges who understand the business. In certain cases a match has to be decided via judges’ decision, especially when they cannot reach a winner even after walking the distance. Scenarios in this case include:
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Unanimous Decision: All three judges score in favor of the same fighter.
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Majority Decision: Two of the three judges score in favor of the same fighter and the third judge scores for a draw.
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Split decision: Two judges score in favor of the same fighter while the third scores for the opponent.
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Technical Decision: Occurs when a match ends due to the use of an illegal move or element, a decision is made based on the finished and unfinished rounds, if there are sufficient number of rounds.
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Unanimous Draw: All judges score for a draw.
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Majority Draw: Two judges score for a draw while the third scores a win.
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Split Draw: All three judges have different scores. (1 for fighter A, 1 for fighter B and 1 for a draw)
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Technical Draw: The fight ends due to a technical decision with the help of judges’ score that ends at a draw.
Disqualification
This occurs when a fighter intentionally uses an illegal move. Disqualification may be called for by the referee or the opponent.
Forfeit
This occurs when a fighter gives up due to any reason other than an injury.
No Contest
A no contest occurs when:
- One or both fighters are unable to continue due to the use of an illegal move or element, and there isn’t enough number of finished rounds to make a logical decision.
- The original result of a fight bout is changed because of illegal or unsatisfactory circumstances. For ex: a fighter, after a fight, testing positive for illegal drugs.
Note: it is not always necessary that the fighters' total
points be equal in the case of a draw. However, in a split or unanimous draw, each fighter scores an equivalent number of
win judgments from the judges (1 or 0, respectively).
Be sure to make sure you have the correct MMA
UFC gear before you train or fight, MMA UFC can be hazardous... be safe!
MMA the Guard in Cage Fighting
Posted by pad-up 26 Apr 2012, 12:57:07
The guard has been a position utilized in Mixed Martial Arts competitions for a very long time. Although the origins of the position are the subject of much debate, the general consensus is that what we call the guard evolved from Japanese Jujitsu and Judo. Since the position was introduced to Brazilian fighters decades ago, the guard has become a very powerful weapon. Endless submissions and sweeps originate from this seemingly defensive position. To see the guard used to it’s fullest degree, drop into your local Brazilian Jujitsu school. But how effective is the guard in MMA?
Royce Gracie introduced most of us to the guard in the mid nineties when he fought in the original UFC matches. At that time very few people understood what he was doing and how he was able to use this position to tap out his opponents. The crowd was baffled and amazed when time and time again Royce would submit larger opponents from his back. Before long, many fighters would follow suit and the guard would become a staple of MMA bouts.
As the sport evolved, many fans and officials became frustrated with what they considered stalling. Fighters were holding their opponents in the closed guard for entire fights without doing much of anything, which halted the action and slowed the momentum of the fights. Some fighters in MMA became well known for “butt scooting” across the canvas. Audiences typically don’t like this sort of thing. To combat this, officials began to stand up the fighters and enforce a time limit on time spent on the ground without action. The sport evolved once more.
And that brings us to today.
You would be hard pressed to find one MMA fighter that did not have some understanding of guard work. Fighters are much better rounded now, which translates into cross training between disciplines. Even well known stand up fighters are seen working from their backs from time to time. But how effective is the guard now that the rule changes have been implemented and fighters are better versed in it?
It’s hard to say either way. In the past, fighters who were primarily guard players could contain their opponents and wait for them to “gas out” and slip up. Since the pace of the fights is much quicker, guard players must press the action much more. They cannot wait for their opponents to tire any longer. It is much more common now to see guard players like BJ Penn and Nick Diaz attempting a long series of submissions all in a row.
There are some fighters who have a very dominant ground game but choose not to fight from their backs. Many wrestlers tend to fight this way. Matt Hughes is a perfect example of a fighter who avoids going to his back. This fighting style may be more tailored to the modern form of MMA.
On the other side of the coin, many fighters are style enlisting the aid of “guard gurus” like Eddie Bravo and the Gracie family to advance their game. In the last UFC several of the fights ended in submission, many of which where attempted from the back. So, while it is true that some fighters are choosing to lean towards stand-up and ground n pound tactics, many are still choosing to equip themselves with a strong guard game.
It’s been fifteen years since Royce Gracie first introduced us to the guard and its use in MMA competition. Although things have changed quite a bit over the years, the guard remains to be a key element in most fighters’ arsenals. Even those who don’t use the guard certainly seem to respect it
MMA Equipment Shop
MMA - History of the Guard
Posted by pad-up 23 May 2011, 08:43:53
The guard has been a position utilized in Mixed Martial Arts competitions for a very long time. Although the origins of the position are the subject of much debate, the general consensus is that what we call the guard evolved from Japanese Jujitsu and Judo. Since the position was introduced to Brazilian fighters decades ago, the guard has become a very powerful weapon. Endless submissions and sweeps originate from this seemingly defensive position. To see the guard used to it’s fullest degree, drop into your local Brazilian Jujitsu school. But how effective is the guard in MMA?
Royce Gracie introduced most of us to the guard in the mid nineties when he fought in the original UFC matches. At that time very few people understood what he was doing and how he was able to use this position to tap out his opponents. The crowd was baffled and amazed when time and time again Royce would submit larger opponents from his back. Before long, many fighters would follow suit and the guard would become a staple of MMA bouts.
As the sport evolved, many fans and officials became frustrated with what they considered stalling. Fighters were holding their opponents in the closed guard for entire fights without doing much of anything, which halted the action and slowed the momentum of the fights. Some fighters in MMA became well known for “butt scooting” across the canvas. Audiences typically don’t like this sort of thing. To combat this, officials began to stand up the fighters and enforce a time limit on time spent on the ground without action. The sport evolved once more.
And that brings us to today.
You would be hard pressed to find one MMA fighter that did not have some understanding of guard work. Fighters are much better rounded now, which translates into cross training between disciplines. Even well known stand up fighters are seen working from their backs from time to time. But how effective is the guard now that the rule changes have been implemented and fighters are better versed in it?
It’s hard to say either way. In the past, fighters who were primarily guard players could contain their opponents and wait for them to “gas out” and slip up. Since the pace of the fights is much quicker, guard players must press the action much more. They cannot wait for their opponents to tire any longer. It is much more common now to see guard players like BJ Penn and Nick Diaz attempting a long series of submissions all in a row.
There are some fighters who have a very dominant ground game but choose not to fight from their backs. Many wrestlers tend to fight this way. Matt Hughes is a perfect example of a fighter who avoids going to his back. This fighting style may be more tailored to the modern form of MMA.
On the other side of the coin, many fighters are style enlisting the aid of “guard gurus” like Eddie Bravo and the Gracie family to advance their game. In the last UFC several of the fights ended in submission, many of which where attempted from the back. So, while it is true that some fighters are choosing to lean towards stand-up and ground n pound tactics, many are still choosing to equip themselves with a strong guard game.
It’s been fifteen years since Royce Gracie first introduced us to the guard and its use in MMA competition. Although things have changed quite a bit over the years, the guard remains to be a key element in most fighters’ arsenals. Even those who don’t use the guard certainly seem to respect it.