ACB Supersonic: Widening My MMA Knowledge

As I mentioned when I began these posts, I’m a relatively recent convert to the sport of mixed martial arts. My experience, as that of so many ‘casual’ fans’, is largely of the UFC, comfortably the most dominant organisation.

However, as my intrigue in the sport has grown in the last 18 months, as has my awareness and understanding of the various promotions beyond the UFC juggernaut. With Spike TV’s partnership with the UK’s Channel 5, I now have access to fights across Bellator and BAMMA, and will be attending my first Bellator event when the promotion takes its next trip to London in May.

However, I make no bones about the fact that my level of knowledge of the wider MMA world is limited. As a result, when I saw that Russian-based Absolut Championship Berkut (ACB), labelled as ‘Europe’s biggest MMA promotion’, was coming to my hometown of Manchester, I jumped at the chance to see the action.

Having been fortunate enough to get a ticket to UFC 204 at the arena last October, it was surprising to me just how different the two promotion styles were. The brief introductions of the fighters’ backgrounds provided by the UFC were made to feel like X Factor sob stories when compared to the roll on, roll off style of the ACB. I genuinely lost count of the number of fights that took place that night, such was the quick turnaround.

While this style is perhaps more accustomed to the hardcore MMA fan, which I am well on my way to becoming, it does have considerable disadvantages for casual fans and even the fighters themselves. Other than those that simply turn up to watch people get punched in the face, of which I am sure there are many, fans want to follow the journey of competitors, understand their styles and histories, and recognise their names when they turn up on a future card. However, with the sheer volume of fights on offer at ACB, fighters have to pull something memorable out of the bag to stand out, meaning that the majority of competitors will remain largely forgotten.

Here’s a case in point. Other than the main and co-main, as well as the home-town fight of Saul Rodgers, I can honestly say that only three moments really stick in my memory: a 21 second front guillotine choke of ex-UFC fighter Nam Phan by Robert Whiteford, the guillotine choke of ex-Bellator veteran Bubba Jenkins by Ali Bagov and Andy De Vent’s KO victory over Danny Mitchell. As a result, more than 20 fighters are forced to fly under the radar, which is never good if you’re looking to become known.

The above submissions brings me onto another disturbing difference between the UFC and organisations outside. When it comes to submissions, UFC veterans recognise when they’ve been caught, and rather than risk permanent damage, and the very real possibility of an extended medical lay-off period, they elect to tap to a properly applied choke.

Outside of the primary MMA promotion, this seems to be less of a consensus, with fighters applying the macho logic of preferring to go out than tap out. In total, there were no fewer than three fighters put to sleep by chokes on the night, with Whiteford’s standing guillotine choke resulting in Phan face-planting into the canvas.

This mindset among fighters places significant pressure on referees to get it right when it comes to recognising when the contest is over, and also brings me back to my original point of difference between the UFC and ACB. The speed of turnaround dictated by the volume of fights on the night represents a considerable danger to a fighter either potentially concussed by strikes or waking up from an oxygen deprived state. While there are plenty of medical professionals on hand to provide support, forcing an individual to walk out of a cage less than a minute after being unconscious cannot be healthy!

Finally, there was a distinct difference between the crowds attracted by the two events. As is to be expected, the UFC brand brings the casual fans in, enticed by the pageantry and high profile nature of the event, while ACB felt more raw. Ignoring the fact that Mancunians were comfortably outnumbered by their Polish and Russian counterparts, which created its own unique atmosphere, it was clear that a considerable portion of those attending were family members or friends of those competing, and were therefore personally invested. As a result, there was a tension created by many of the fights that I can only compare to the Bisping/Henderson main event at UFC 204, where the levels of emotion ran high.

The quality of the contests also surprised me, though perhaps that demonstrates my previous ignorance of everything outside the UFC. Outside of the aforementioned standing guillotine finish, we also had a flying armbar finish, a variety of spinning attacks and some outstanding scrambles on the ground.

All of this was before the two biggest bouts of the evening. In the co-main, Manchester’s Brendan Loughnane delivered a stunning head-kick and knee combination to get the KO victory in his rematch with Mike Wilkinson, before Russian behemoth Rustam Khabilov destroyed England’s Luke Barnatt in just 21 seconds with his heavy hands to bring the night to an emphatic conclusion.

What did you think of the evening’s events? To discuss any of the points raised in this, or any of my other pieces, get in touch in the comments section, or on Twitter @TheWeighInMMA.

An Experience With Conor McGregor - EventCity, Manchester

In just four short years, Conor McGregor has gone from nothing to something to everything. This was the mantra played out loud and clear on the intro package played before the Irishman's typically dramatic and celtic entrance into Manchester's EventCity arena, where he would find himself faced with esteemed MMA journalist Ariel Helwani.

As is to be expected in an event involving the notorious one, the reaction from the crowd was huge. This was my first time seeing him live, and while I have seen a number of pre and post-fight interviews in US have been almost hijacked by Irish fans, there can be no doubt that the reception is similarly euphoric here. His is a personality that seems to transcend sport, with stars in other industries, including Justin Bieber and Paul Pogba, copying that now patented strut on social media.

In an hour-long event that covered both his personal and professional lives, we got to see a lot of the brash McGregor we know and love, but also a more heartfelt and emotional side. Brought out in part by the lines of questioning taken by MMA Fighting's Helwani, this was an interview where it was very apparent we were witnessing the real Conor McGregor, from his relationships with the UFC brass to his passions, life lessons and targets outside of the fight game.

The personal side was very apparent right from the get-go, with the notorious one seemingly blown away by the level of support he received from the Manchester crowd as he entered. As he said, he was 'almost humbled' - almost being the operative word! Nevertheless, as we ventured further into the interview, McGregor did not shy away from answering the personal questions, culminating with the breaking news that he will be having a boy in April, a revelation he said that his girlfriend would kill him for.

Similarly, the Dublin-born fighter was not afraid to share some of his life lessons with the crowd, with a particularly poignant message coming from a fan question about his dream dinner party guests. Prior to his breakthrough into the UFC, it's well known that McGregor 'didn't have a pot to piss in', claiming benefits and living day to day. So now he finds himself at the top of the game, with all the wealth in the world, it was refreshing to hear his answer of 'I don't eat with people I wouldn't starve with', recognising the struggles he has been through to get this place.

Likewise, his passion for the sport of MMA has not changed over the years, but his options certainly have. Last year, he launched McGregor Promotions, and confirmed that he expects 2017 to be the year that sees its first fight card, with the O2 Arena in London already touted as a potential venue. However, he shares an interesting relationship with the promotion with which he became a star. As much as they seem willing to push him to the moon, McGregor also revealed his feelings that a number of barriers have been placed in his way, designed to create a glass ceiling and prevent his popularity usurping that of the company. In particular, the Irishman raised questions around the arbitrary stripping of his featherweight belt, a belt that he says he was never asked to defend, as well as the recent news that the promotion will be creating an interim lightweight title at UFC 209, an announcement that came just two months after McGregor claimed the belt at Madison Square Garden.

The 5,000 fans in Manchester highlight this popularity, and as McGregor perhaps playfully made reference to, he expected there to be more people turning out to watch him speak than there are in Denver watching the UFC's latest Fight Night!

There was nothing playful about his message to the remainder of the UFC roster. After his now iconic apology at UFC 205, it's quite clear the disdain that McGregor has, and he remains insistent that none of the fighters in the featherweight, lightweight or even welterweight divisions could stand with him. Indeed, he regularly referred to the likes of Tony Ferguson, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Jose Aldo and Max Holloway as 'bums', as well as claiming he would slap welterweight champ Tyron Woodley around the Octagon.

As has been reported, McGregor's sights are set a little higher, with a boxing super fight with Floyd Mayweather seemingly inevitable. The Irishman expects the deal to be done before the end of the year, saying he's 'hunting' the top pound for pound boxer. Following a serious offer from Dana White, McGregor says that the fight is heading in the right direction, but there is still some way to go before any decision is made. With the notorious one having the reach and youth advantage, he also has no doubt about the result when it gets there, and also stoked a bit of bad blood between the two, calling Mayweather a 'Malteser with eyeballs', and suggesting that 'Money' remains scared of him.

As for the future, McGregor confessed that he is just chilling, awaiting his next challenge. Certainly the incoming child represents a challenge, and fatherhood is still a strange concept to the 28-year old. However, he already has put in place a long-term goal, and remains convinced that the only person who will be able to break his UFC and MMA records will be his own spawn! As for the sport where he made his name, McGregor insists that 2017 will be a year to remember, both for his new promotions company, and the potential for shares in the UFC. His is a name that will not fade away by a small absence, whether that is to compete in boxing, appear at Wrestlemania, or even take the leading role in a film!

Quite simply, McGregor is, in his own words, the face of the UFC, WWE, boxing, and last night, he was the face of Manchester.