It's almost undeniable now that Bellator MMA is the main competition to the dominant force that is the UFC. This has become even more obvious with the recent series of high profile free agents, including the likes of Ryan Bader, Phil Davis and Lorenz Larkin, all of whom are experienced at the very highest level.
With this, and my impending trip to London to watch Bellator 179 in mind, I thought I'd lay out my top 10 favourite fighters currently under the employ of the promotion:
10. Benson Henderson - Lightweight/Welterweight (24-7)
Perhaps wrongly, I've always seen Benson Henderson as Mr Reliable, but never Mr Exciting. Without doubt one of the most decorated members of the current Bellator roster, and one of only two to ever hold UFC gold, Smooth has shown himself to be one of the greatest lightweights of all time. However, thanks to his calm demeanour and ability to sneak under the radar, it is unlikely that he will ever get the recognition he deserves.
Nevertheless, he has been in some wars, including one of my favourite fights of all time against Anthony Pettis in WEC, ending in the now immortalised 'Showtime kick'. While his initial Bellator entrance has been underwhelming, I have no doubt that he will continue to challenge Michael Chandler at the top of the lightweight card.
9. Paul Daley - Welterweight (39-14)
A true one punch knockout artist, Paul 'Semtex' Daley has been at the pinnacle of Bellator since arriving at the promotion in 2012, and has fought against some of the biggest names in the sport, including Nick Diaz, Tyron Woodley and Jorge Masvidal. His ferocious right hand has sent many to the canvas and guarantees an exciting night, but he has also shown he is not averse to the spectacular, with his recent KO victory over Brennan Ward coming by a remarkable flying knee.
While it could be levied against him that he has never really managed to break into the elite of the UFC, his upcoming bout against Rory Macdonald at Bellator 179 could change all that, putting him really in contention for Andrei Koreshkov's title.
8. Michael Page - Welterweight (12-0)
This is an odd one for me, as his flashy style and entertainment value should rank Michael 'Venom' Page higher on my list, as his fight was certainly one of the main reasons I was excited for my first Bellator live event. While this sadly hasn't come to pass on this occasion, some of his highlights are outrageous. His tornado kick knockout of Ben Dishman at UCMMA 26 is quite frankly one of the most astonishing I have ever seen, while his flying knee KO of Cyborg Santos deservedly earned the 'Knockout of the Year' honours at the MMA Awards.
However, what the Brit gains in cage presence, he loses in personality. I'm accustomed to confidence and cockiness in MMA interviews, but there is something about MVP's character that doesn't sit right with me. In particular, his reaction to Ronda Rousey's 47-second comeback defeat to Amanda Nunes last December, which was to release a dance video mocking the former champion's stumbling around the Octagon as she tried to survive - you stay classy MVP!
7. Patricio Freire - Lightweight/Featherweight (25-4)
Synonymous with the Bellator promotion, the Pitbull brothers have seen it all under the Scott Coker umbrella. While Patricky is just as entertaining as his younger brother, he's never quite hit the heights of Patricio, Bellator's current Featherweight champion.
Patricio has enjoyed some memorable wars in the Bellator cage, and his hands are as heavy as anyone in the world, with his most memorable knockout over Daniel Weichel. His backwards and forwards against Daniel Straus has been legendary, with four bouts to date, and I don't doubt there will be a few more before the pair hang up their gloves.
6. Chael Sonnen - Middleweight/Light-Heavyweight (29-15)
Another brash, mouthy guy, but this guy's the OG. Famed for talking his way into title fights he had no right to be in, Sonnen came within a whisker of defeating the greatest fighter of all time, before being caught in a triangle choke with moments to go.
While his trash-talking may have diminished slightly over the years, with some of his jibes directed at Tito Ortiz more like something you'd hear on a school playground than in the cage, he certainly made it popular as an art, enabling the likes of Conor McGregor and Michael Bisping to take the psychological warfare of MMA to another level.
5. Liam McGeary - Light-Heavyweight (12-1)
I've tried, where possible, to favour the 'Bellator' originals in this list, recognising those fighters that have come through the ranks in the secondary promotion, rather than simply jumping ship from the UFC. For a couple of years, Britain's McGeary was exactly that, becoming the Bellator light-heavyweight champion in February 2015. His active guard saw him claim a series of a high profile submissions, most impressively against MMA legend Tito Ortiz, though he became a notable loser from the free agency trend, with Phil Davis taking his belt in a dominant performance.
He appears to be on the comeback trail, and a win over Linton Vassell at Bellator 169 in London could see him close in on a rematch with the American wrestler.
4. AJ McKee - Featherweight (8-0)
Arguably the brightest young prospect in Bellator, though with the likes of MVP and Chidi Njokuani in the talent-rich 170 lbs weight class, it's hard to properly compare. Nevertheless, this featherweight continues to impress, with his most recent fight a highlight reel head kick KO of Dominic Mazzotta, and it seems inevitable that McKee will get a bigger name later this year.
Most impressively, the youngster has not let the hype go to his head, and remains focused but ambitious, talking about the potential of beating Jon Jones record and claim a belt before his next birthday. How likely that is remains to be seen, but if he continues his meteoric rise, it seems inevitable that he will be a world champion at some point.
3. Bobby Lashley - Heavyweight (15-2)
Much like Brock Lesnar, Bobby Lashley burst onto the MMA scene following a semi-successful career in the WWE. However, while his record is undoubtedly impressive, he has yet to hit the pinnacle of the sport, though he remains a juggernaut in the Bellator heavyweight division, with many believing he deserves a shot at the currently vacant title.
Perhaps most impressively, Lashley continues to perform duties both in the cage and the ring, now performing for Impact Wrestling. While this may go some way to explaining his lack of a title shot as yet, there is no denying his talent, and I'd certainly expect to see him up there in the next 12 months.
2. Quinton Jackson - Light-Heavyweight/Heavyweight (37-12)
The answer for why I like Rampage is simple: he's honest. As a fighter, he recognises that he doesn't have the same background in wrestling or Brazilian jiu-jitsu as many of his competition, but he simply doesn't care. He has taught himself what he needs to know, enabling him to walk his opponents onto the nuclear bombs he has in his gloves. As he showed time and time again in the UFC, with his vicious KO of Wanderlei Silva instantly sprinting to mind, his punching power is fearsome, and he has the capability to end anyone's evening early.
As a personality, there is no-one like him. As his time as coach on The Ultimate Fighter showed, he's got more than a little of a prankster in him, and some of his interviews are legendary. Quite simply, there's not many as entertaining on the microphone as Rampage, but unlike the likes of Conor, where he creates an arrogant and brash character, Jackson is simply being himself - confident, but jovial.
1. Rory Macdonald - Welterweight (18-4)
The main reason I bought a ticket for Bellator 179 in London was because of Rory Macdonald. While his personality is nowhere near as entertaining as the likes of Jackson, he more than makes up for it in his fights! In my opinion, Macdonald has been involved in the greatest mixed martial arts fight of all time - his near five round war with Robbie Lawler at UFC 189. It demonstrated the heart of the Canadian and the depths he would go to to secure the title.
Though he was unsuccessful on that occasion, he will find his route to the Bellator title no easier in the now talent-rich welterweight division. Nevertheless, his fight with Paul Daley has the potential for fireworks, and I can't wait to see it!
Who are your favourite Bellator fighters? Let me know either in the comments section below, or on Twitter @TheWeighInMMA.
Showing posts with label Bellator. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bellator. Show all posts
Friday, 19 May 2017
Tuesday, 11 April 2017
The Curse of the Lost Title: What Is The Impact of Giving Up The Belt?
In the highly unpredictable environment of MMA, where one shot can end a fight, much is made of the difficulty to get a title shot, with many fighters needing to rack up long win streaks to be in contention. Most recently, UFC featherweight Max Holloway put together an impressive nine fight run before being handed an interim shot at UFC 206, the same as lightweight Tony Ferguson, while the likes of Khabib Nurmagomedov and Donald Cerrone both managed eight straight victories in their respective divisions. Middleweight Yoel Romero is also expected to match the nine straight having been overlooked for a shot at Michael Bisping's title, with the Brit opting to fight the returning Georges St-Pierre.
However, it appears another difficult situation is often overlooked. As a champion, there can be no greater pain than losing your title, and recovering from this setback takes real courage and guts. Nevertheless, this does not always go to plan. Ronda Rousey can attest to this, with her return to the Octagon following the heart-breaking loss to Holly Holm ending in a 48 second TKO defeat to UFC bantamweight champion Amanda Nunes. With the idea of the ex-champion being on a two fight losing streak unthinkable less than 18 months ago, it seemingly follows that the initial defeat had a significant impact on momentum and confidence, leading to the second.
This situation is certainly not an uncommon one among ex-UFC champions. In fact, if we look at the stats, this has happened on 23 occasions, representing 60 per cent of all champions. The list of names is astonishing, including the original heavyweight champion Mark Coleman, Anderson Silva, BJ Penn, Tito Ortiz, Vitor Belfort, Chuck Liddell, Lyoto Machida, Brock Lesnar and Randy Couture - twice! Hardly transitional champions, I think you'll agree!
As you can see, minus flyweight, which has yet to see a former champion, this transcends a wide range of weight classes and time periods, from Rafael dos Anjos at lightweight through to Kevin Randleman at heavyweight, and has made its way into the comparatively fledging women's division, affecting every former bantamweight champion. Sure, there are more heavyweights on this list than any other, but that makes sense given the number of champions in that division versus the rest.
So if there are no trends that can be identified by weight class or time period, is there a reason behind this? The obvious argument to make would be momentum, and how the loss of one fight can very easily lead to declining confidence, resulting in further defeats. However, this is undermined by some additional statistics. The eagle-eyed (or perhaps MMA-nerds) will have noticed that the above list neglects to mention those that did not lose their belts inside the Octagon. The likes of Tim Sylvia, Frank Mir, Dominick Cruz and Jon Jones were either stripped of their titles, or were forced to relinquish due to injury or contractual issues. No momentum loss for them, you may think?
Well actually, revisiting the statistics, we see that of the 10 former champions that were either stripped or relinquished their titles, five went on to lose their following fight. While both of the most recent examples did return with a win, fighters that failed include Couture, Sylvia, Mir and Sherk, meaning that the ratio is not significantly altered whether the belt is lost inside the cage or out.
If not momentum, were these former champions simply outclassed by the same opponent? Again, no. Of the 48 former champions, only three have lost consecutive bouts to the same foe. Belarusian heavyweight Andrei Arlovski suffered a shock KO defeat to Tim Sylvia in April 2006, before losing the rematch by decision three months later, while BJ Penn lost consecutive unanimous decisions to Frankie Edgar in 2010. Most recently, the greatest of all time, Anderson Silva, was famously knocked out by Chris Weidman while clowning in the cage, before suffering a horrendous broken leg in the rematch in 2013. While I'd argue that the latter shouldn't really be counted in the same way as a KO or decision defeat, the loss remains on his record, so requires inclusion.
The answer is unlocked when we look at the statistics from the UFC's greatest rival, Bellator. While comparatively in its infancy, the promotion has had a total of 26 previous champions across its male and female divisions. Surprisingly, nearly a quarter of those have already either been stripped or relinquished the title, meaning that we have a measurable sample size of 20 ex-title holders. Of those, just 35 per cent lost back to back fights, a significant departure from the majority seen in the UFC.
When you look at some of the cards put out by mixed martial arts' secondary organisation, it's easy to see why. Outside of the main and co-main, there is a distinct lack of strength in depth at Bellator, meaning that an ex-champion can ease themselves back into the title picture with a win over a fighter that really isn't in their league. Meanwhile, look at the top 10s of all of the UFC's weight classes. Apart from the heavyweights, it's a murderers row, and there are no easy fights to recover. For example, look at each of the most recent ex-champions' return fights in the UFC, and judge for yourself:
With the awareness of MMA growing seemingly by the day, and the number of individuals taking up the sport also on the rise, this is an issue that is only going to become more pronounced as the quality of fighters continues to improve. With this in mind, it will be interesting to see not just the returns of the likes of Eddie Alvarez, scheduled to face Dustin Poirier, Luke Rockhold, Robbie Lawler and Dominick Cruz, but to see how future defeated champions are able to cope as they are thrust back into the hungry lions' den that is mixed martial arts competition.
However, it appears another difficult situation is often overlooked. As a champion, there can be no greater pain than losing your title, and recovering from this setback takes real courage and guts. Nevertheless, this does not always go to plan. Ronda Rousey can attest to this, with her return to the Octagon following the heart-breaking loss to Holly Holm ending in a 48 second TKO defeat to UFC bantamweight champion Amanda Nunes. With the idea of the ex-champion being on a two fight losing streak unthinkable less than 18 months ago, it seemingly follows that the initial defeat had a significant impact on momentum and confidence, leading to the second.
This situation is certainly not an uncommon one among ex-UFC champions. In fact, if we look at the stats, this has happened on 23 occasions, representing 60 per cent of all champions. The list of names is astonishing, including the original heavyweight champion Mark Coleman, Anderson Silva, BJ Penn, Tito Ortiz, Vitor Belfort, Chuck Liddell, Lyoto Machida, Brock Lesnar and Randy Couture - twice! Hardly transitional champions, I think you'll agree!
As you can see, minus flyweight, which has yet to see a former champion, this transcends a wide range of weight classes and time periods, from Rafael dos Anjos at lightweight through to Kevin Randleman at heavyweight, and has made its way into the comparatively fledging women's division, affecting every former bantamweight champion. Sure, there are more heavyweights on this list than any other, but that makes sense given the number of champions in that division versus the rest.
So if there are no trends that can be identified by weight class or time period, is there a reason behind this? The obvious argument to make would be momentum, and how the loss of one fight can very easily lead to declining confidence, resulting in further defeats. However, this is undermined by some additional statistics. The eagle-eyed (or perhaps MMA-nerds) will have noticed that the above list neglects to mention those that did not lose their belts inside the Octagon. The likes of Tim Sylvia, Frank Mir, Dominick Cruz and Jon Jones were either stripped of their titles, or were forced to relinquish due to injury or contractual issues. No momentum loss for them, you may think?
If not momentum, were these former champions simply outclassed by the same opponent? Again, no. Of the 48 former champions, only three have lost consecutive bouts to the same foe. Belarusian heavyweight Andrei Arlovski suffered a shock KO defeat to Tim Sylvia in April 2006, before losing the rematch by decision three months later, while BJ Penn lost consecutive unanimous decisions to Frankie Edgar in 2010. Most recently, the greatest of all time, Anderson Silva, was famously knocked out by Chris Weidman while clowning in the cage, before suffering a horrendous broken leg in the rematch in 2013. While I'd argue that the latter shouldn't really be counted in the same way as a KO or decision defeat, the loss remains on his record, so requires inclusion.
The answer is unlocked when we look at the statistics from the UFC's greatest rival, Bellator. While comparatively in its infancy, the promotion has had a total of 26 previous champions across its male and female divisions. Surprisingly, nearly a quarter of those have already either been stripped or relinquished the title, meaning that we have a measurable sample size of 20 ex-title holders. Of those, just 35 per cent lost back to back fights, a significant departure from the majority seen in the UFC.
When you look at some of the cards put out by mixed martial arts' secondary organisation, it's easy to see why. Outside of the main and co-main, there is a distinct lack of strength in depth at Bellator, meaning that an ex-champion can ease themselves back into the title picture with a win over a fighter that really isn't in their league. Meanwhile, look at the top 10s of all of the UFC's weight classes. Apart from the heavyweights, it's a murderers row, and there are no easy fights to recover. For example, look at each of the most recent ex-champions' return fights in the UFC, and judge for yourself:
- Heavyweight - Fabricio Werdum vs Travis Browne
- Light-heavyweight - Jon Jones vs Ovince Saint-Preux
- Middleweight - Chris Weidman vs Yoel Romero
- Welterweight - Johny Hendricks vs Matt Brown
- Lightweight - Rafael dos Anjos vs Tony Ferguson
- Featherweight - Jose Aldo vs Frankie Edgar
- Bantamweight - TJ Dillashaw vs Rafael Assuncao
- Women's Bantamweight - Miesha Tate vs Raquel Pennington
- Women's Strawweight - Carla Esparza vs Julianna Lima
With the awareness of MMA growing seemingly by the day, and the number of individuals taking up the sport also on the rise, this is an issue that is only going to become more pronounced as the quality of fighters continues to improve. With this in mind, it will be interesting to see not just the returns of the likes of Eddie Alvarez, scheduled to face Dustin Poirier, Luke Rockhold, Robbie Lawler and Dominick Cruz, but to see how future defeated champions are able to cope as they are thrust back into the hungry lions' den that is mixed martial arts competition.
Saturday, 25 February 2017
MMA Awards: The Case For... Cub Swanson vs Doo Ho Choi
Matchmakers have a notoriously difficult job. Much like referees, they go largely unnoticed if they do their role properly, but it is extremely obvious when they get it wrong. However, there are those infrequent moments when they get it perfectly right, handing fight fans up and down the world with those perfect contests that last long in the memory.
2016 was a good year for fights across a number of promotions and divisions. Minus perhaps the heavyweights, the argument can certainly be made that in 2017, we now have the deepest array of fighters across all weight classes in the sport's history.
As a result, some of the match-ups seen last year have been truly spectacular, and the winner of the 'Fight of the Year' will have truly earned it.
Often, the best events come from the card with the least hype. Following the juggernaut that was UFC 205, with its stacked card and three title fights, UFC 206 looked very much like the red-headed step child of the family, especially when the initial headliner, Daniel Cormier vs Anthony Johnson, was cancelled due to injury, leaving an awkwardly-shoehorned interim featherweight title bout as the main event.
Step forward the co-main event and third fight of the card. These were two absolute barnburners, with Donald 'Cowboy' Cerrone's picture perfect headkick KO of Matt Brown surprisingly playing second fiddle to the quite ridiculous battle between Cub Swanson and Doo Ho Choi. Though it was touted as a 'fun fight' in the lead-up, few would have expected the 15 minute war that ensued.
Originating from what was considered an ambitious call-out by the Korean Superboy, the fight had been in the works for a while, and was seen as the first real test of Choi's UFC credentials. In the lead-up, most commentators felt that Cub would be one step too far for the youngster, and would ultimately outclass him.
As with most things in the highly unpredictable sport of MMA, they couldn't have been more wrong. While Choi admittedly took a while to warm up, the fight proved to be the very definition of back and forth. Quite honestly, how either of them made it to the final bell with their heads still attached is amazing, such was the power and ferocity of some of the punches thrown. In particular, the Korean Superboy may have one of the best chins in the sport at present, taking an incredible amount of punishment and continuing to survive and throw strikes. I seem to recall one of his countrymen being famous for something similar - Korean Zombie 2.0 anyone?
Perhaps the best thing about the contest, however, is that it demonstrated the best of each of the three main disciplines in MMA, namely kickboxing, wrestling and jiu-jitsu. The feeling throughout was that the fight could be stopped at any moment, with both fighters going through moments of jelly-legged trouble, in addition to submission attempts and battles for positional control. Unsurprisingly, once the crowd caught its breath, it showed its appreciation with a huge standing ovation at the end of the second round.
The real reason that this fight stands out from its competition for this award is that it's the only non-main event contest. Take a look at the list. From Bisping/Silva to Henderson/Chandler, every one of the other fights has benefitted from an enormous amount of promotion as part of the UFC or Bellator's PR machine, meaning that many will have bought their tickets with the express intention of watching the main event. I've seen it first hand at UFC 204 - while Bisping vs Henderson was not by any means an exceptional fight, the atmosphere generated by its significance made it feel all the more entertaining and impressive.
While the Cub/Choi fight received a bit of attention as a main card bout, it was by no means hyped by the UFC, and the fact that it stands out as one of the best fights of the year underlines the quality of the contest itself, rather than benefitting from a more electric atmosphere. There's no doubt that after this fight, both will be in main events in the near future, with Swanson already set to headline against Artem Lobov later this year.
Do you agree with this choice? Let me know your thoughts either in the comments section or on Twitter @TheWeighInMMAChandkler
2016 was a good year for fights across a number of promotions and divisions. Minus perhaps the heavyweights, the argument can certainly be made that in 2017, we now have the deepest array of fighters across all weight classes in the sport's history.
As a result, some of the match-ups seen last year have been truly spectacular, and the winner of the 'Fight of the Year' will have truly earned it.
Often, the best events come from the card with the least hype. Following the juggernaut that was UFC 205, with its stacked card and three title fights, UFC 206 looked very much like the red-headed step child of the family, especially when the initial headliner, Daniel Cormier vs Anthony Johnson, was cancelled due to injury, leaving an awkwardly-shoehorned interim featherweight title bout as the main event.
Step forward the co-main event and third fight of the card. These were two absolute barnburners, with Donald 'Cowboy' Cerrone's picture perfect headkick KO of Matt Brown surprisingly playing second fiddle to the quite ridiculous battle between Cub Swanson and Doo Ho Choi. Though it was touted as a 'fun fight' in the lead-up, few would have expected the 15 minute war that ensued.
Originating from what was considered an ambitious call-out by the Korean Superboy, the fight had been in the works for a while, and was seen as the first real test of Choi's UFC credentials. In the lead-up, most commentators felt that Cub would be one step too far for the youngster, and would ultimately outclass him.
As with most things in the highly unpredictable sport of MMA, they couldn't have been more wrong. While Choi admittedly took a while to warm up, the fight proved to be the very definition of back and forth. Quite honestly, how either of them made it to the final bell with their heads still attached is amazing, such was the power and ferocity of some of the punches thrown. In particular, the Korean Superboy may have one of the best chins in the sport at present, taking an incredible amount of punishment and continuing to survive and throw strikes. I seem to recall one of his countrymen being famous for something similar - Korean Zombie 2.0 anyone?
Perhaps the best thing about the contest, however, is that it demonstrated the best of each of the three main disciplines in MMA, namely kickboxing, wrestling and jiu-jitsu. The feeling throughout was that the fight could be stopped at any moment, with both fighters going through moments of jelly-legged trouble, in addition to submission attempts and battles for positional control. Unsurprisingly, once the crowd caught its breath, it showed its appreciation with a huge standing ovation at the end of the second round.
The real reason that this fight stands out from its competition for this award is that it's the only non-main event contest. Take a look at the list. From Bisping/Silva to Henderson/Chandler, every one of the other fights has benefitted from an enormous amount of promotion as part of the UFC or Bellator's PR machine, meaning that many will have bought their tickets with the express intention of watching the main event. I've seen it first hand at UFC 204 - while Bisping vs Henderson was not by any means an exceptional fight, the atmosphere generated by its significance made it feel all the more entertaining and impressive.
While the Cub/Choi fight received a bit of attention as a main card bout, it was by no means hyped by the UFC, and the fact that it stands out as one of the best fights of the year underlines the quality of the contest itself, rather than benefitting from a more electric atmosphere. There's no doubt that after this fight, both will be in main events in the near future, with Swanson already set to headline against Artem Lobov later this year.
Do you agree with this choice? Let me know your thoughts either in the comments section or on Twitter @TheWeighInMMAChandkler
Wednesday, 11 January 2017
MMA Awards 2017: The Case For...
At the beginning of a new year, it is always good to take a look back at the accomplishments of the months past. 2016 was another outstanding year of growth for the sport of mixed martial arts. Outside of the cage, we saw an unprecedented $4bn deal for the UFC, bringing in new investment and ideas, Bellator strengthen its ranks with a host of free agent signings including Rory Macdonald, Matt Mitrione, Benson Henderson and Chael Sonnen, and the move towards a unionised fighter association get ever closer.
The year wasn't bad for in-cage action either. Having overturned the corrupt ban on the sport in New York, UFC 205 broke practically every record going, from pay-per-view buys to Conor McGregor becoming the first ever fighter to hold two UFC titles simultaneously, while Brock Lesnar sensationally returned at UFC 200.
Hosted on March 2nd, predictably in Las Vegas, the Fighters Only World MMA Awards looks to recognise the greatest of the sport each year. Dubbed the 'MMA Oscars', the 22 awards are designed to cover the entire mixed martial arts eco-system, appreciating everyone that makes the sport what it is today.
As a result, categories range from the predictable 'Fighter of the Year' and 'Breakthough Fighter of the Year', to performance related awards, covering the most spectacular ways of finishing a fight, to journalists, personalities, coaches and gyms associated with the sport.
The shortlists for each have been released, and the public have been asked to vote for their winners at the link below:
http://www.worldmmaawards.com/vote/
I have already taken this opportunity, and over the next few weeks, I'll be posting new content every Friday outlining my case for some of the headline awards.
So take a trip to the website above, vote for your favourite, and let me know your thoughts on mine each week, either in the comments here or @TheWeighInMMA on Twitter.
The year wasn't bad for in-cage action either. Having overturned the corrupt ban on the sport in New York, UFC 205 broke practically every record going, from pay-per-view buys to Conor McGregor becoming the first ever fighter to hold two UFC titles simultaneously, while Brock Lesnar sensationally returned at UFC 200.
Hosted on March 2nd, predictably in Las Vegas, the Fighters Only World MMA Awards looks to recognise the greatest of the sport each year. Dubbed the 'MMA Oscars', the 22 awards are designed to cover the entire mixed martial arts eco-system, appreciating everyone that makes the sport what it is today.
As a result, categories range from the predictable 'Fighter of the Year' and 'Breakthough Fighter of the Year', to performance related awards, covering the most spectacular ways of finishing a fight, to journalists, personalities, coaches and gyms associated with the sport.
The shortlists for each have been released, and the public have been asked to vote for their winners at the link below:
http://www.worldmmaawards.com/vote/
I have already taken this opportunity, and over the next few weeks, I'll be posting new content every Friday outlining my case for some of the headline awards.
So take a trip to the website above, vote for your favourite, and let me know your thoughts on mine each week, either in the comments here or @TheWeighInMMA on Twitter.
Tuesday, 10 January 2017
The Perception of MMA: The Meryl Streep Fallout
So, as most people interested in mixed martial arts will know by now, a celebrity made a few comments at the Golden Globes on Sunday. Amongst Meryl Streep's insults directed at Donald Trump was a brief quote about the world's fastest growing sport:
This understandably drew the ire of the MMA community, with the reaction varying greatly from person to person. At one end of the scale, Bellator owner Scott Coker penned a courteous open letter to the actress, explaining his points clearly and concisely, and inviting Streep to be his guest for the upcoming Bellator 170: Sonnen vs Ortiz event at the Forum in LA.
Meanwhile, the comments were not taken so well on the other side of the MMA fence. Known for his strong and fiery demeanour, particularly in the face of criticism, UFC president Dana White described Streep as an "uppity 80 year-old lady", while telling her in no uncertain terms "if you don't like it, change the channel."
Somewhere in the middle sits John Kavanagh, the coach of Conor McGregor and numerous other top competitors across mainstream MMA organisations. While I have seen a number of click-baity articles posted that use the soundbite 'F**k off' to entice page views, I actually think he makes a wider point in his comments (see Facebook post below).
While questioning the motives of Streep for making these comments, claiming she attempted to make herself look more like 'one of the people' while sat in her mansion, the whole Streep debacle is based around the same idea: MMA is often extremely misunderstood by the general public, and no-one can identify whether it is an art or a sport. I can admit that I was certainly part of this group, with the term 'cage fighting' in my mind depicting lawless bouts where savages would attempt to tear one another apart for a baying crowd. I exaggerate slightly for dramatic effect, but it's certainly true that the word conjures a very different image to the reality at the highest level of mixed martial arts. While the violent outcome is inescapable, the methods by which it occurs are far more sophisticated than conventional wisdom suggests.
In order to demonstrate this, and why Meryl Streep is wrong, I apologise but I'm about to get pedantic. The definition of 'art' is 'the expression or application of human creative skill and imagination, producing works to be appreciated primarily for their beauty or emotional power.' Now, for every fan of 'traditional art' that gets teary-eyed at the brilliance of Picasso, and especially more abstract pieces like No. 6 (Violet, Green and Red) by Mark Rothko, which, by the way, sold for $186m, there is an MMA fan who can tell you the emotion of disbelief and shock they had at the sight of the world famous 'Showtime' kick or Holly Holm's headlock knockout of Ronda Rousey at UFC 193.
Similarly, in terms of beauty, I can appreciate many art forms, be it music, theatre or paintings, and the thought and skill that goes into an MMA fight is no different. Take Donald 'Cowboy' Cerrone's UFC 202 performance against Rick Story as a case in point. The foresight to know exactly how his opponent was going to move, and the impact that each of his strikes would have in his four-point combination, was absolutely stunning. To see him pull that off was, in my mind, no different that seeing a pitch-perfect live version of Pavarotti's 'Nessun Dorma' - instilling an emotion that makes you believe you are watching something incredible.
I think the point around MMA's perception gets increasingly interesting when compared to other combat sports, particularly boxing. While there remain some who believe all blood sports to be barbaric, these are certainly in the minority, with the majority of people able to recognise skill in the ring. For example, there are few that see Muhammad Ali as a violent thug, capable of rendering another human unconscious without a second thought. Instead, he is seen as the epitome of a true sportsman, with his movement and heart the attributes of focus.
Regardless of how valid the perception of MMA is, the point remains that there is one, and Meryl Streep's comments highlight this clearly. When it comes to a reaction, if the end goal is to change the negative perception of the sport, the more aggressive approach taken by the likes of Dana White isn't helpful. If anything, it appears to reinforce the violent and unpredictable stereotype created.
As with any sport, MMA will not be for everyone, and some people will never be able to get past the end result, which is ultimately violence. However, for those who are more open-minded, or perhaps less squeamish, we can only hope to influence opinion through reasoned explanation and education of the skills that make the art, rather than barbed comments, tweets and insults.
"Hollywood is crawling with foreigners, and if you kick them all out, all you'll have to watch is football and mixed martial arts - and those are not arts."
This understandably drew the ire of the MMA community, with the reaction varying greatly from person to person. At one end of the scale, Bellator owner Scott Coker penned a courteous open letter to the actress, explaining his points clearly and concisely, and inviting Streep to be his guest for the upcoming Bellator 170: Sonnen vs Ortiz event at the Forum in LA.
Meanwhile, the comments were not taken so well on the other side of the MMA fence. Known for his strong and fiery demeanour, particularly in the face of criticism, UFC president Dana White described Streep as an "uppity 80 year-old lady", while telling her in no uncertain terms "if you don't like it, change the channel."
Somewhere in the middle sits John Kavanagh, the coach of Conor McGregor and numerous other top competitors across mainstream MMA organisations. While I have seen a number of click-baity articles posted that use the soundbite 'F**k off' to entice page views, I actually think he makes a wider point in his comments (see Facebook post below).
While questioning the motives of Streep for making these comments, claiming she attempted to make herself look more like 'one of the people' while sat in her mansion, the whole Streep debacle is based around the same idea: MMA is often extremely misunderstood by the general public, and no-one can identify whether it is an art or a sport. I can admit that I was certainly part of this group, with the term 'cage fighting' in my mind depicting lawless bouts where savages would attempt to tear one another apart for a baying crowd. I exaggerate slightly for dramatic effect, but it's certainly true that the word conjures a very different image to the reality at the highest level of mixed martial arts. While the violent outcome is inescapable, the methods by which it occurs are far more sophisticated than conventional wisdom suggests.
In order to demonstrate this, and why Meryl Streep is wrong, I apologise but I'm about to get pedantic. The definition of 'art' is 'the expression or application of human creative skill and imagination, producing works to be appreciated primarily for their beauty or emotional power.' Now, for every fan of 'traditional art' that gets teary-eyed at the brilliance of Picasso, and especially more abstract pieces like No. 6 (Violet, Green and Red) by Mark Rothko, which, by the way, sold for $186m, there is an MMA fan who can tell you the emotion of disbelief and shock they had at the sight of the world famous 'Showtime' kick or Holly Holm's headlock knockout of Ronda Rousey at UFC 193.
Similarly, in terms of beauty, I can appreciate many art forms, be it music, theatre or paintings, and the thought and skill that goes into an MMA fight is no different. Take Donald 'Cowboy' Cerrone's UFC 202 performance against Rick Story as a case in point. The foresight to know exactly how his opponent was going to move, and the impact that each of his strikes would have in his four-point combination, was absolutely stunning. To see him pull that off was, in my mind, no different that seeing a pitch-perfect live version of Pavarotti's 'Nessun Dorma' - instilling an emotion that makes you believe you are watching something incredible.
I think the point around MMA's perception gets increasingly interesting when compared to other combat sports, particularly boxing. While there remain some who believe all blood sports to be barbaric, these are certainly in the minority, with the majority of people able to recognise skill in the ring. For example, there are few that see Muhammad Ali as a violent thug, capable of rendering another human unconscious without a second thought. Instead, he is seen as the epitome of a true sportsman, with his movement and heart the attributes of focus.
Regardless of how valid the perception of MMA is, the point remains that there is one, and Meryl Streep's comments highlight this clearly. When it comes to a reaction, if the end goal is to change the negative perception of the sport, the more aggressive approach taken by the likes of Dana White isn't helpful. If anything, it appears to reinforce the violent and unpredictable stereotype created.
As with any sport, MMA will not be for everyone, and some people will never be able to get past the end result, which is ultimately violence. However, for those who are more open-minded, or perhaps less squeamish, we can only hope to influence opinion through reasoned explanation and education of the skills that make the art, rather than barbed comments, tweets and insults.
Monday, 9 January 2017
The Weigh-In: A New Blog for a Rising Sport
For nearly four years, I have been writing the blog It's More Than Just A Game, focused largely around my first sporting love: football. From a young age, I was obsessed with the world's most popular game, able to quote the most ridiculous statistics and focusing on seemingly insignificant topics in great detail.
However, over the last 18 months, I have found myself feeling very similar levels of obsession about a new topic, and a sport that has been on the rise around the world in recent years. Introduced to mixed martial arts by my brother in late 2014, it wasn't until I discovered the fights of Anderson Silva, and especially Brock Lesnar, that I started to get the MMA bug. Having recognised the Beast from my younger days of watching professional wrestling, I was intrigued to see how he did in real competition.
I was, and remain to this day, fascinated at the ability of fighters to sense danger, predict reactions and plan two or three moves in advance, making MMA a more violent version of chess. Similarly, the interplay of vastly differing, but equally valuable, fighting styles is also not just interesting, but impressive when you consider the amount that fighters are forced to adapt when fighting different opponents.
So I decided to take my own style of football writing and analysis, and apply it to my new passion. Following UFC 200, I wrote a blog post entitled 'The Rotten Core of MMA', looking at the failed drug tests of both Brock Lesnar and Jon Jones, and the historical endemic use of performance enhancers in the sport. I'll post the link to this below, but in short, it prompted me to launch this new blog, dedicated to the big MMA stories and analysis of key fights and events.
Over the coming months, I'll be posting some of my favourite MMA moments and fighters, and while my current exposure to the sport will mean I focus initially on the UFC, I plan on posting more and more regularly on other organisations, with Bellator, Rizin, BAMMA and One Championship all on my radar.
So welcome to The Weigh-In, and feel free to share your thoughts with me in the comments or on Twitter @TheWeighInMMA.
UFC 200 blog: http://itsmorethanjustagameblog.blogspot.co.uk/2016/07/ufc-200-rotten-core-of-mma.html
However, over the last 18 months, I have found myself feeling very similar levels of obsession about a new topic, and a sport that has been on the rise around the world in recent years. Introduced to mixed martial arts by my brother in late 2014, it wasn't until I discovered the fights of Anderson Silva, and especially Brock Lesnar, that I started to get the MMA bug. Having recognised the Beast from my younger days of watching professional wrestling, I was intrigued to see how he did in real competition.
I was, and remain to this day, fascinated at the ability of fighters to sense danger, predict reactions and plan two or three moves in advance, making MMA a more violent version of chess. Similarly, the interplay of vastly differing, but equally valuable, fighting styles is also not just interesting, but impressive when you consider the amount that fighters are forced to adapt when fighting different opponents.
So I decided to take my own style of football writing and analysis, and apply it to my new passion. Following UFC 200, I wrote a blog post entitled 'The Rotten Core of MMA', looking at the failed drug tests of both Brock Lesnar and Jon Jones, and the historical endemic use of performance enhancers in the sport. I'll post the link to this below, but in short, it prompted me to launch this new blog, dedicated to the big MMA stories and analysis of key fights and events.
Over the coming months, I'll be posting some of my favourite MMA moments and fighters, and while my current exposure to the sport will mean I focus initially on the UFC, I plan on posting more and more regularly on other organisations, with Bellator, Rizin, BAMMA and One Championship all on my radar.
So welcome to The Weigh-In, and feel free to share your thoughts with me in the comments or on Twitter @TheWeighInMMA.
UFC 200 blog: http://itsmorethanjustagameblog.blogspot.co.uk/2016/07/ufc-200-rotten-core-of-mma.html
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