I'm starting to appreciate MMA

J

jbj

Poor old Geordie's array...
I've been into boxing since I was a kid. My dad and uncle had pretty good records at amatuer, I've done a decent bit of training at amateur though never fought and boxing was my grandfather's life. He referee'd, judged and even trained a future world champ in the amateur ranks.

I'd always beena bit cynical of MMA thinking it was nothing more than scrapping and brutality but I've been watching it when I get in from my DJ shifts the last few weeks and it's pretty fucking good when they're not rolling around and dry humping for the whole fight.

I could be doing without the whole "I'd love to thank Jesus" shit 90% of them spout after fights, more because I doubt Jesus would want you to beat the shit out of your fellow man for money rather than any un-religious feelings but yeah.

Anyone else here a fan?
 
It funny because I am not a fan of boxing but I do enjoy watching the MMA on occasions. One of the shows that I really get a kick at is Bully Beatdown. Some of the Bully's find out what it is like to fight an MMA fighter.

One of my co-workers is an MMA fighter. He was trying to get into the big time and was approaching it but got a bad injury not even related to fighting. He is hoping that he can return.
 
I've no idea what bully beatdown is but it sounds like fun :grin:

I dunno what MMA is like stateside is like but unfortunately combat sports over here isn't much different to chasing a record deal except it's well and trully steeped in vice.

My grandfather had gained enough clout over the years that he could keep the gangsters away from the young talent untill they turned 18 but after that he let them fend for themselves and well.... the world champ I mentioned is now languishing in a Spanish jail and is probably going to go right back into a Spanish jail after this sentence is passed for an even bigger stretch and quite possibly a Scottish jail once that sentence has passed.

He was on first name terms with some of the top villians in the country through boxing but that's why he'd never go and work with the pro's.

A sad indightment really because it is the sport of kings imo.
 
I wrestled in high school and as an undergrad, so I can definitely appreciate the ground work. It takes tremendous skill.

That said, I far and away prefer boxing as a spectator. I have yet to see an MMA fight that comes to the best boxing matches of the past decade for excitement and entertainment,
 
Flamencology said:
I wrestled in high school and as an undergrad, so I can definitely appreciate the ground work. It takes tremendous skill.

That said, I far and away prefer boxing as a spectator. I have yet to see an MMA fight that comes to the best boxing matches of the past decade for excitement and entertainment,
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I like the speed of the matches, that is what I like about the MMA. Boxing takes to long.
 
Flamencology said:
I wrestled in high school and as an undergrad, so I can definitely appreciate the ground work. It takes tremendous skill.

That said, I far and away prefer boxing as a spectator. I have yet to see an MMA fight that comes to the best boxing matches of the past decade for excitement and entertainment,
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If anything, the ground work kills MMA imo. Though boxing is definitely a TV sports. For some reason being there in person is nowhere near as exciting as watching it on TV. I would love to see a big fight in Vegas one day though.

I know you're a reader so if you ever come across it you should pick up 4 Kings. It's a book about the fights between Hearns, hagler, Duran and Leonard. Absolutely fantastic reading. I've been meaning to go back and read it while watching the bouts on youtube.
 
I boxed in the mid 70s at age 11 and 12, dabbled in tang soo do and taekwondo in high school, and had a couple years of off season wrestling in high school, as well... I got serious about kenpo in the beginning of the 90s and did that for a lot of years... Then one day, this skinny little guy came to show us jujitsu... Well, at the time I was a brown belt in kenpo, and still plenty confident at my wrestling skills, so I didn't take him too seriously.... until five minutes in, I was exhausted, and all of a sudden I was tied up like a pretzel, unable to move or breathe... So, began my quest to study grappling... It has been about 4 years since I trained hard, but I still keep up with it...

So, yes, I have been a MMA fan for about 17 years, and have even trained with/taught guys that were crazy enough to fight in the cage... I never would have, myself, but there is so much to learn from just watching... Yes, its get brutal, sometimes...

My hero is Joyce Gracie...
 
while I appreciate the skill of the groundwork, it does make for dull tv, as far as I'm concerned.
never been much a fan of boxing, either.
I like seein' dudes get kicked in the head, as long as it ain't me.

I likes lulz with mah brawlin', so it's WWE for me, though it's been years since I actually followed it.
I was all about the AWA back when.
 
see, and that's something which could totally happen on WWE. :lol:

if I were a foot taller and at least a hundred pounds heavier.:embarrassed:
 
I cant seem to get into the MMA thing. Every time I see it, I just cant help but thing we have gone full circle as a species. Back to the days of fighting to the death in huge arenas.

I used to really like boxing too but the personality isnt what it used to be. It just isnt as much fun to me to watch the big name guys. They just dont pull it off like Ali and Foreman and the guys from back then. I still like the lesser known guys because it is more real boxing but as a sport, I just dont enjoy it as much.
 
jbj said:
If anything, the ground work kills MMA imo. Though boxing is definitely a TV sports. For some reason being there in person is nowhere near as exciting as watching it on TV. I would love to see a big fight in Vegas one day though.

I know you're a reader so if you ever come across it you should pick up 4 Kings. It's a book about the fights between Hearns, hagler, Duran and Leonard. Absolutely fantastic reading. I've been meaning to go back and read it while watching the bouts on youtube.
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I'll look out for that book.

Groundwork is a lot more interesting if you can follow it, much like boxing matches that are high-skill chess matches rather than slug feasts.

Your point about TV is probably the commentary? I don't know. I have tickets for Mayweather-Ortiz and for Pacquiao-Marquez III this fall, so I guess I will see firsthand whether the atmosphere can compensate.
 
jbj said:
If anything, the ground work kills MMA imo. Though boxing is definitely a TV sports. For some reason being there in person is nowhere near as exciting as watching it on TV. I would love to see a big fight in Vegas one day though.

I know you're a reader so if you ever come across it you should pick up 4 Kings. It's a book about the fights between Hearns, hagler, Duran and Leonard. Absolutely fantastic reading. I've been meaning to go back and read it while watching the bouts on youtube.
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I met Lennox Lewis at some fights out in Vegas, the Alex Garcia / Mike Dixon fight. He was just leaning against a table (outdoor venue) and I went up and shook his hands and talked to him for about a minute. He didn't really look that big to me, and I'm only 5' 7". Looking at boxrec, this was just after Lewis won the WBC heavyweight title against Tony Tucker. He didnt have any bodyguards or anything with him, no entourage or anything.
 
When you study up on BJJ the ground game is less boring. To the novice it looks slow and gay. To someone who can see the set-ups, the execution of the moves, and the athleticism, it's as interesting as boxing. It's a highly skilled and technical chess match. To me the entire sport is fascinating from top to bottom. On any given day the most highly trained individual can make a single mistake and be knocked unconscious. It happens all the time. I have the utmost respect for those guys. The training it takes to compete is ridiculous.

I'm going into my third year of mixed martial arts. I have a higher appreciation for boxing since I've had to actually spar and learn the techniques. I come from the era of the Mohammed Ali and Frasier. Those fights were thrilling. Today watching a contemporary boxing match bores me. The fighters have the charisma of toast. Mohammed Ali spoiled me. Contemporary boxers are dull. Watching a match, I equate it with two guys fighting with one arm tied behind their backs. There are way too many fascinating disciplines from all over the world to limit combat to jabs, hooks, crosses, and uppercuts.

I still love Sugar Ray Leonard though.
 
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Flamencology said:
I'll look out for that book.

Groundwork is a lot more interesting if you can follow it, much like boxing matches that are high-skill chess matches rather than slug feasts.

Your point about TV is probably the commentary? I don't know. I have tickets for Mayweather-Ortiz and for Pacquiao-Marquez III this fall, so I guess I will see firsthand whether the atmosphere can compensate.
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I think it's more to do with you not being as close to the action.

Watching football live is fun because you get to see a lot more of the action albeit without the replays and stuff, watching boxing on the other hand, you get to see the exact same action you would on TV albeit from further away, a single angle and no replays.

It's actually quite difficult to tell if anyone is landing clean shots or not unless you're standing ringside or they're landing spot on Rocky-esque shots.

Amateur boxing is funner to watch because you're inevitably going to get much closer to the action.
 
I used to be the biggest boxing fan imaginable but I got so frustrated with the poor judging that it turned me off of the sport. I think my biggest appeal for MMA was that most fights were decided before the judges had to make a decision. Now that it has become more established the judges have become more prominent and they have made a few bad decisions but it is nothing like the way it was in boxing...and still is.

I still watch boxing once in a while and I am very often disappointed - that fight between Vlad Klitchko (sp?) and the English guy who was saying how badly he was going to beat him was a complete waste of money. To think of the amount of money that they got paid for such a poor performance makes me ill.

As you watch MMA there are so many things that you learn to appreciate in the technical aspects of combat. It is getting very advanced now with everyone learning aspects of all techniques which is excellent for the level of competition but in some ways it was a bit more interesting when people were more focused on a couple techniques or styles so that you could see the contrast. Back in UFC 1 the guys were basically of one discipline which made for huge contrast...I still have no idea why the boxer wore one glove into the ring. As the sport developed there were quite a few years in which fighters were still identified as grapplers or strikers. Now the athletes have to have high level skills in multiple disciplines or their weaknesses will be exploited by opponents quite quickly.
 
I'm not really a fan, but we're friends with a guy who is a retired MMA fighter and runs a Brazilian Ju Jitsu gym in Charleston.
 
I studied Kempo Karate for years and fought in a number of tournaments. Nothing like MMA, but a great way to stay in shape. My last fight was to be against a another middleweight guy from a Tae Kwon Do gym. He didn't show, but another fighter from his gym offered to stand in. He was a light/heavyweight, but I was/am a little cocky so I agreed. It was a good fight through the three rounds and just short of the end I got caught with a ridgehand strike, a big roundhouse with the inside edge of his wrist catching me on the temple. I literally saw black and stars and my whole head was ringing. I didn't fall down, but as my vision cleared and I was able to see, I stumbled to my corner just as the buzzer sounded.
Needless to say, I didn't win, and the headache and pain and bruising on my face convinced me that maybe it wasn't all that much fun. I still like to spar when I can, that's still fun, but no more punches in the head for me.
 
I picked up EA MMA on the xbox cheap the other night.

I've played the fight night games since the knockout king days but it's fun finding out about the different strategies and stuff in MMA. Might make watching it a bit more interesting.

I doubt I'll be taking up MMA anytime soon though, my main method of victory seems to be getting my ass kicked till I'm on my back with the guy holding my ankles so I can start launching heels into his jaw until he passes out :grin: :embarrassed:
 
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