mano a mano combat

For years, Bob Reilly has had some pretty nasty things to say about MMA, most of it due to his uninformed idea of what MMA is or is not.

And for years people have tried to inform him, so that he would be able to speak more intelligently on the subject. He’s had MMA explained to him in careful detail; people have crafted outlines on how MMA works, the differences in his perceived dangers of this sport as compared to boxing, football, ice hockey and other violent, dangerous contact sports.

Frustratingly, this poor man just does not seem to be able to grasp the concept of the sport. You’d think after hearing from professionals in the industry, he’d at least conduct further research, before continuing to spread false and misleading information about MMA to his constituents who may be new to the sport, all in an effort to get votes and score points.

You won’t believe this, but he actually said mixed martial arts, or “ultimate fighting” (yes…the man is STILL calling it ultimate fighting!) is more dangerous than any other sport out there, because it’s not just boxing – it includes other forms of fighting!!! My response to that is: “HUH???”

And it does appear he’s at least attempted to understand MMA, because at one point he says “now, all of the the mixed martial arts, ummm, there’s a great history to them…” and then spouts some more rhetoric his PR people made him include in this video statement. The problem is that “all of the mixed martial arts” does not have a great history to them. Rather, all of the martial arts systems that make up MMA have a great history to them.

So – good try in attempting to placate the masses, Reilly, but sadly…you still don’t get it, and you’re still misinforming your constituents.

Seriously – isn’t it about time for this guy to retire and stop trying to get re-elected by spouting half-truths? Check out his latest video. Hard to believe he actually is STILL this ignorant, after years of discussions with MMA-industry experts:

In this article from BC Local News.com, a Lions Gate emergency room physician, Dr. Samuel Gutman, warns that the push by Canadian doctors to ban mixed martial arts matches, much like Reilly is trying to do, could do more harm than good. Per the article, “Although all doctors can agree they want to protect the safety of athletes, it’s not realistic to prohibit the popular sport. Instead he (Dr. Gutman) says the association should focus on harm reduction.”

This is a concept that seems beyond the scope of Reilly’s brain cells, even though it’s been explained to him that, while there are risks during a fight bout, per Gutman, “athlete conditioning, referee training and having proper medical support can mitigate dangers.”

I guess Reilly feels MMA competitors should continue to fight unrestricted, unsanctioned, and unregulated, underground, in back alleys or underground garages, without the benefit of a trained referee, and medical personnel, and with only the financial welfare of the promoter and his profits being the priority.

Per the article, “In his 20 years in the field, Gutman has only once seen a (sic) injury resulting from MMA in the ER, but several mountain bike and snowboarding injuries can come through in a single day, he notes.”

Guess Reilly should start clamping down on mountain biking and snowboarding next, right? Yeah – sure he will.

Sadly, it appears Reilly comes from the “it’s my way or the highway” school of thought. Pretty much, once he’s made up his mind about something, come hell or high water – he’s right, and everyone else is wrong – even industry experts.

Right. And blue is not blue, it’s green; the sky is not up, it’s down; and hey Bob — the world is flat. Because you say it is…

This is an interesting competition “Video Analysis” of Demian Maia vs. Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza (Courtesy of Jason Scully a.k.a The Grapplers Guide)

Jason Scully recommends that you watch the regular video first to see what you notice in the match. Then watch the video with the commentary and slow motion to see if you noticed what he noticed. He then gets into some great technical conversations from there.

Full Match without Commentary and without Slow Motion

Video Analysis of the Match with Commentary and with Slow Motion

For your viewing pleasure – enjoy this brief post-fight interview with Brock Lesnar. 

Earlier today, legendary boxing promoter, Don King, issued a cease and desist order to MMA fight promotional company, Shine Fights, stating his fighter, Ricardo Mayorga, was intending to fight Din Thomas in an MMA bout with Shine Fights on May 15th, 2010.

Typical Don King, right? This is a man who usually seems to feel that once he represents a boxer he OWNS them, body and soul. King’s version goes like this:

Don King Productions has become aware that an entity known as Shine Fight Promotions recently announced their intention to present a match showcasing former three-time world champion Ricardo “El Matador” Mayorga

Don King Productions has a valid promotional contract granting the right of exclusive representation of Ricardo Mayorga and has advised Shine Fight Promotions accordingly.

Shine Fight Promotions’ conduct constitutes tortious interference with Don King Productions’ agreement with Ricardo Mayorga, and Don King Productions has requested they immediately cease and desist promoting Ricardo Mayorga at one of their events to avoid the need for legal action in this matter.

At this time, Mayorga is under an exclusive promotional contract with Don King Productions; consequently, King has threatened legal action if Shine Fights did not immediately stop promoting Mayorga for the May 15 fight.

Shine Fights has supposedly issued the following “official response” to the cease and desist demand, released just moments ago, as follows:

SHINE FIGHTS PROMOTER DISMISSES DON KING THREAT

“King is Mayorga’s boxing promoter. We are his MMA promoter.”

NEW YORK, NY (May 5, 2010) – Despite demands from Don King Productions to “cease and desist” promoting Ricardo Mayorga, Shine Fights Promotions CEO Devin Price is assuring fight fans that the May 15th MMA event “WORLDS COLLIDE: MAYORGA VS. THOMAS” will go forward “without a doubt.” Price also added:

“Shine Fights has a valid and exclusive promotional contract with Ricardo Mayorga for mixed martial arts. We are pleased to offer both MMA fans and boxing fans a great night of MMA action on Saturday, May 15th.”

“When we announced this fight I said that we think Mayorga’s fans are just that, his fans, and that they will follow him to MMA,” said Price. “Our target is to convert many boxing fans into fans of both sports.”

So this one will most likely be left up to the courts for interpretation, either before the fighters battle in the ring or after, because we all know Don King’s hair won’t let him lie down for anyone…

Of course, this could all be a setup and just a way for King to get some love, because he’s mentioned he does want to get into the MMA promoter biz. What better way to start than by getting down and dirty in the center of the ring?

Shine Fights is currently promoting their upcoming May 15th pay-per-view event, “Worlds Collide: Mayorga vs. Thomas.”

“ WORLDS COLLIDE” will be headlined by a 160-pound catch weight main event between former boxing champion Ricardo Mayorga and MMA veteran Din Thomas, and the co-main event will feature a fight between former EliteXC Middleweight Champion Murilo “Ninja” Rua and Canadian warrior Travis “The Gladiator” Galbraith.

Additionally, a welterweight contest between MMA veteran Nick “The Goat” Thompson and Brazilian star Eduardo Pamplona is also scheduled. Shine Fights promises a surefire ground war will take place at 175 pounds between 2009 ADCC Absolute Champion Braulio Estima and former Olympic Judo competitor Rick Hawn, and grappling specialists Alexandre “Cacareco” Ferrara and Jamal “The Suit” Patterson will also do battle.

The event will take place at the Crown Coliseum in Fayetteville, NC. Fans can watch via PPV on cable and satellite in the United States and Canada (available for $29.95). The good news? The event will be broadcast in High-Definition (HD), and it will be available in both English and Spanish (where available). The broadcast will start at 9 PM ET/6 PM PT, and will include a 30-minute countdown show prior to the live event at 8:30 PM ET/5:30 PM PT.

If you want to attend in person, you can get tix through Ticketmaster at 1-800-736-1420, or online, or in person at the Crown Coliseum Box Office. For box office hours and more info, please call (910) 438-4100.

For more information on Shine Fights or “Worlds Collide,” you can follow Shine on Twitter, Myspace, YouTube, or become a fan on Facebook. Looks like the people over at ShineFights have been busy getting in on the social networking, right?!

PRESS RELEASE:

Shine Fight Promotions today announced a much-anticipated welterweight bout between former Bodog Fight Welterweight Champion

Nick “The Goat” Thompson and Brazilian veteran Eduardo Pamplona that will take place on the main card at “Worlds Collide: Mayorga vs. Thomas” on May 15.

This fight will take place at the “Worlds Collide: Mayorga vs. Thomas” event in Miami, FL. Per David McKinney, Public Relations for Shine Fight Promotions:

Shine Fights is excited to announce the official signing of a bout between former Bodog Welterweight Champion Nick “The Goat” Thompson (38-12-1) and Brazilian veteran Eduardo Pamplona (12-2). The bout will take place on the main card at “Worlds Collide: Mayorga vs. Thomas,” which will be held at the Crown Coliseum in Fayetteville, North Carolina on May 15, 2010. “Worlds Collide” will be broadcast live on Pay Per View.

Known as two of the most exciting welterweights in the world, both fighters will be making their debut with Shine Fights, and each fighter is looking to secure a place in the title picture with a victory.

Thompson, one of the most respected fighters in the sport, has fought all over the world, including in organizations such as the UFC, Bodog, Sengoku, EliteXC, and Strikeforce. Having compiled an impressive 22-2 record as a welterweight from 2005-2009, including victories over UFC veterans Josh Neer, Keith Wisnewski, Chris Wilson, Ansar Chalangov, Paul Daley, current Bellator champion Eddie Alvarez, and Cage Rage veteran Mark Weir, Thompson found it difficult to find challengers at welterweight and was forced to make the move to middleweight to face a tough opponent in Tim Kennedy in Strikeforce. Thompson lost that fight and immediately sought out an opportunity to fight at welterweight for an organization on the rise.

His willingness to fight and an attractive offer from a growing promotion like Shine made Thompson aware that it was time to sign on the dotted line: “I couldn’t get a fight. It was really frustrating,” Thompson said in January when agreeing with Shine.

Now with an opponent in hand and a fight on the horizon, the 28-year-old has moved on to his next goal: Shine Fights gold. “I am happy to be with Shine and I look forward to earning the first shot at their welterweight title,” said the former three-time Bodog champion. “Eduardo is a tough and exciting fighter,” Thompson said about his upcoming opponent. “He is the kind of fighter you like to fight because there will be fireworks…while he has not had a loss in the last three years, I am confident that I am the better fighter and will stand victorious when the night is over.”

One of the top welterweights in Brazil, Pamplona is now on a mission to prove that he is also one of the best 170-pound fighters in the world. Already a veteran of organizations like Pancrase, Shooto, the IFL, and M-1 Challenge, Pamplona will now bring his aggressive striking and world-class ground game to Shine Fights.

Having earned victories over MMA legends Jorge “Macaco” Patino, Jose “Pele” Landi-Jons, and fellow Shine signee Daniel Acacio, Pamplona made his U.S. debut in 2007 at “IFL: Atlanta” in an exciting three round war with former EliteXC champion “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler. Pamplona lost a hotly contested bout that night, but the 34-year-old has reeled off seven straight victories since, bringing his record to 12-2 overall.

“This fight with Thompson is a big fight for me,” Pamplona said. “He has many great victories on his record, and I believe it will be a great fight between us. I believe this fight will have a lot of movement. We both like to stand up and exchange. I believe we will stay on our feet.”

“I’m excited to see these two tough fighters slug it out inside the Shine cage,” Shine Fights matchmaker Ron Foster said. “The winner will definitely be at the top of the list when I look for guys to put in a title fight.”

This highly anticipated bout in the Shine welterweight division joins the previously announced main event between former boxing champion Ricardo Mayorga and MMA veteran Din Thomas on the May 15 card. Available on pay-per-view in North America, the event will start at 9 PM EST and will be available for $29.95. Tickets for the event will go on sale soon via Ticketmaster.

For more information on Shine Fights, please visit ShineFights; follow them on Twitter or MySpace; or find them and become a fan on Facebook.

I remember seeing clips of MMA in it’s early stages; two people just beating each other into piles of blood. I remember when I told my mother I was going to fight and of course she was afraid I was going to get really hurt. After it was all said and done, the only thing that hurt was my pride after losing by rear naked choke in the second round.

Training -
I feel that some people think my training consists of getting jumped by 10 guys, shadow boxing on hot coals, and defending myself against baseball bat strikes. Well that’s how I train but I’m an exception to typical MMA training.

When I say MMA training, I’m also referring to the individual martial arts and MMA structured classes. Between conditioning, rolling, sparring and technique work, it leaves plenty of opportunity for injuries and getting hurt.

Luckily most instructors are trained to do everything in a safe manner. These instructors have years of training under their belts and know when there are unsafe situations.

Also, in most training scenarios, there will be someone supervising to prevent injuries. When sparring, there is plenty of safety equipment that can be used. Headgear, wraps, cups, and shin pads do a great job of preventing any major injury. The majority of the time of sparring isn’t at 100% effort. Sparring is time to refine technique and uncover flaws in your fight game. Both with sparring and grappling, most injuries seem to come from inexperience.

Typically it’s white belts during grappling who end up hurting someone due to their lack of technique or self-control. The same goes with sparring. A good instructor will supervise newer guys to ensure 2 (two) inexperienced guys will not face off against each other.

Competition -
In New Jersey Amateur MMA fights, the rules are very different than pro-rules. In short:

• No elbows
• Knees only to the body
• No strikes to the head from the ground
• No slamming
• Shin pads, cup, and mouthpiece required

These are just a few of the rules. The MMA refs are highly trained; if they see a competitor is hurt, they will stop the fight in order to prevent  any major injury. The misconception is that there are no rules nor regulations for these MMA fights. In New Jersey, all MMA fights are regulated and commissioned by the New Jersey State Athletic Commission (NSAC).

So to anyone thinking about participating in MMA, my point is that MMA is just as dangerous as playing any typical team sport, like football. Yes you can get really hurt in a MMA fight or training – but you can also get hurt just falling off a ladder.

About the Author
Jimmy Vo is an amateur mixed martial artist based out of South Jersey. He also runs a blog called MMA Training Stuff.

If you’re interested, go try it…you’ll know soon enough if it’s something you want to continue!

UFC 107 Under card review
(December 12th 2009)
(Fedex Forum, Memphis, TN.)

First let’s start this review with the fact that I think that the UFC 107 fight card was one of the best fight cards of 2009. This fight card was a who’s who of UFC and the MMA world as a whole. Not only did we have big name fighters at this event, but we also had a great roster of up and comers. With that being said, let’s not wait any longer to jump into the action that took place in the under card fights!

Kevin Burns vs. TJ Grant:
Burns comes out strong throwing punch after punch, but in the first few minutes of the fight Burns get rocked with a right from Grant. Grant shoots in for a take down and gets it. Grant gets in the top mount position and starts to deliver some heavy ground and pound. Burns gets out of the ground and pound and gets back to the standing position. Burns hits Grant in the package and we take a quick break. Once the action starts again, Grant comes across the Octagon and delivers a flying knee followed up by a series of strikes to finish the match. This ends as a first round TKO for Grant.

DaMarques Johnson vs. Edgar Garcia:
Johnson comes out strong. Garcia follows up with some good shots to Johnson’s head that seems to slow his pace a little bit. Johnson throws a body kick that Garcia catches and uses to take him to the ground. Garcia gets up and allows the action to go back to the standing position. Garcia starts with a full out assault on Johnson, only to have Johnson deliver a kick to Garcia’s face which knocks him to the mat; then follows up with a triangle choke to win the fight in the first round.

Lucio Linhares vs. Rousimar Palhares:
They both come out fighting. Linhares takes Palhares to the ground. Linhares keeps dropping a wicked elbow from the half guard to Palhares. The ref stands up both fighters due to inactivity. Linhares takes it to the ground again and is trying for a leg lock. Palhares is able to get out of the leg lock and Linhares takes his back and moves to full guard. The bell rings and Round One is over.

In Round Two, Linhares comes out and immediately takes it to the ground; he gets side control and throws a few strikes. After a few minutes of less than spectacular ground fighting, the ref stands them both up. Linhares shoots in for another takedown and gets it. Both men are now fighting for position. Palhares grabs Linhares by the leg and looks like his is going for a leg lock, but he eases his grip as Linhares fights to sink in a heel hook – which ultimately makes Linhares tap out. Palhares wins by submission.

Ricardo Funch vs. Johny Hendricks:
Funch comes into this match making his UFC debut, and Hendricks is the only fighter of the night to walk into the Octagon to the sounds of a Country song being playing overhead. The crowd didn’t seem to respective of the country song, but they quickly got over it. The action gets started and Hendricks shoots in for a take down. He pushes Funch back up against the fence and Funch starts to deliver some elbows to Hendricks. Funch turns things around and pushes Hendricks against the fence. Funch lands a knee to Hendricks’ face but instead of backing up, Hendricks fights for position up against the fence for a little over two minutes. Just when the crowd starts to boo and hiss, Hendricks picks Funch up and slams him to the mat a lá a Randy Couture-style take down. Hendricks steps back and lets Funch get back to his feet, but as soon as he’s back to his feet, Funch is met with a series of uppercuts and knees from Hendricks. The bell rings in the background and Round One is over.

After a quick break, Hendricks comes out swinging. Hendricks grabs Funch and throws him to the mat. Hendricks remains standing – all while telling Funch to get back up. Once Funch gets back to his feet he is met, Hendricks meets him with some vicious knees. Funch is again knocked down, but Hendricks again let’s Funch get back up to continue the fight standing – it’s obvious Hendricks wants to stay standing for the moment. Then, suddenly, Hendricks shoots in to take Funch down. Working into a dominant position, Hendricks takes Funch’s back and sinks the hooks in. At this point everyone’s pretty much thinking this is the end for Funch, but then the bell rings and that is the end of Round Two.

For Round Three, Hendricks comes out and immediately shoots in to take Funch to the ground. Once they’re down, he delivers a series of strikes to Funch head. Hendricks stands up and motions to Funch to stand back up – which he does. Hendricks then grabs Funch as he is getting up and slams him hard onto the mat. The bell rings and that is the end of the third round.

After the judges discuss the fight – the decision is finally made, and Hendricks gets the win by Unanimous Decision…no big surprise there. Not bad, as this is Hendricks’ second fight in the UFC.

Shane Nelson vs. Matt Wiman:
Both fighters come out of their corners and Wiman immediately delivers a nice leg kick to Nelson. Nelson quickly returns the kick with a series of punches to Wiman. Wiman shoots in for the takedown and gets it. Once on the ground, Wiman works his way to full guard and then starts to throw elbows. Nelson gets cut with one of the elbows and starts bleeding – and that’s the end of Round One.

As they come back from their corners, Wiman shoots in and is able to take Nelson back down to the floor. Nelson tries to keep busy on the ground, but seems to find it hard to make any advances or strikes due to Wiman’s excellent ground game control. The ref stands them back up and Wiman then re-opens the wound on Nelson’s face by a flurry of elbows. The Second Round is over.

Wiman comes out strong in the third round and starts the round with strike to Nelson’s groin, so the ref stops the fight. After a brief pause, both men are at it again. Wiman throws a lot of kicks and does a good job keeping Nelson at a distance, but then all of a sudden he shoots in; at the same time, Nelson kneed Wiman in the face. Amazingly, that doesn’t stop the attack and Wiman manages to take Nelson to the floor. Both fighters are work hard for dominant position, when suddently Wiman makes a bold move and is able to get Nelson’s back. Wiman leans forward and continues to pound Nelson from both sides for about the last 15 to 20 seconds of the fight, and then the bell rings signaling the end of the Second Round.

After both fighters meet in the center of the Octagon, Wiman’s arm is raised in victory: A win by Unanimous Decision.

Alan Belcher vs. Wilson Gouveia:
I have to admit I thought this fight was going to be a good battle for both fighters, but that wasn’t really the way this fight went down. As the ref started this fight, both men circled each other, sizing each other up. Neither seemed willing to give up any ground in the center of the Octagon to his competitor, when all of a sudden Belcher throws the first blow. Belcher’s blows are answered by Gouveia and the two are going back and forth exchanging blows in the center of the Octagon for all to see. Going toe-to-toe, the fans start to get hyped-up as they watch these two warriors slug it out in the middle of the ring. Belcher and Gouveia exchange blows and then we see an all out attack by Belcher – ending this fight in the first round.

During this time I kept thinking that Gouveia was going to take this fight to the ground, but on this day, both fighters decided instead to stand in the middle of the Octagon and exchange blows till one man went down. As it turned out Belcher won this fight by a TKO.

Interestingly, it’s been rumored that Belcher was so upset the UFC put him on the Undercard instead of the Main Card, he told them “Watch me tonight – I’ll give you a show and you’ll see why I should be on the Main Card…and that’s where I want to be next time!”

Looks like he showed the UFC where he belongs.

All and all this Undercard showcased a great set of fights. All of the fighters gave it their best and all of the fights were very exciting to watch. I am sure we are going to be seeing more of some of these great fighters in the years to come.

Preliminary Card

• Middleweight bout: Alan Belcher vs. Wilson Gouveia
• Lightweight bout: Matt Wiman vs. Shane Nelson
• Welterweight bout: Johny Hendricks vs. Ricardo Funch
• Middleweight bout: Rousimar Palhares vs. Lucio Linhares
• Welterweight bout: DaMarques Johnson vs. Edgar Garcia
• Welterweight bout: Kevin Burns vs. TJ Grant

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One of my favorite ways to cause damage involves the art of striking. My hobbies include walking into bars and punching every person I see and knocking them out. Okay, okay just kidding. As any mixed martial artist knows striking plays a very important role in causing damage. What options do you have when you step in the cage? Strike or Submit, right? I prefer the former.

Striking Variations
There are many ways you can hit people: open palm strikes, punches, knees, elbows, and kicks. I’m going to cover two styles of striking which involves Western Boxing (Traditional Boxing) with a mixture of Muay Thai (Thai Boxing) because those are the two styles I’m familiar with.

Muay Thai: The brutal art of Thai boxing is the favored striking style taught in most mixed martial arts schools. Muay Thai adds various dimensions to boxing due to the ability to use elbows, knees, and legs. With the wide range of attacks you can throw a wide array of combos. My favorite element of Muay Thai is the leg kicks. Throwing a powerful roundhouse to your opponent’s leg can wear them down really quick. Another devastating attack in Muay Thai is the clinch, where you clinch the opponent by the neck and deliver knees to the head or body.

Boxing: Some may think that boxing is just Muay Thai minus the knees, elbows and kicks, but there’s more than that to it. From personal experience, I learned how to bob and weave, slip punches and cut angles. I feel that the focus on muay thai is less on the actual hands, so adding boxing to your arsenal really sharpens up your stand up.

Now there are many other types of striking, such as the fancy strikes done by Karate variations, but I don’t know them, so I won’t discuss them. I encourage mixed martial artists to study many forms of martial arts and striking beyond the typical Muay Thai and BJJ couplet. Evolve yourself unless you want to be like everyone else.

About The Author
Jimmy Vo is an amateur mixed martial artist based out of South Jersey. He also runs a blog called MMA Training Stuff. Manoamanocombat.com is honored to have Jimmy Vo as a new part of our writing staff. Be sure to tweet this article of his and show him some love!