The Big Three: Jorge Rivera vs. Micheal Bisping

The days of competitive respect are close to gone.  The old school martial arts mentality to respect your opponent seems to be a thing of the past.  To replace these things, we now have bravado, arrogance, and an almost Hitler-like sense of superiority.  It could be argued that this is the sad passing of an age.

But, damn, does it make an exciting build up to a fight.

Smack talk has become an integral part of MMA, and the fight game as a whole.  We have pre fight trash talk, online bashing, blogging battery, the stylings of Chael Sonnen,  and Twitter.

But now, apparently, we have a new outlet for pre fight debauchery:  Broadway.

For those of you who don't know, Jorge Rivera has put forth a number of online videos that have demeaned Micheal Bisping in a way that would have Brock Lesnar laughing like it was "Shark Week" at Sea World.

Has MMA Gotten Soft?

Back at it's inception in '93, the UFC was about determining two things:  What is the best fighting style, and who is the best fighter, in the world. Is Muay Thai better than Jiu-jitsu?  Is Judo dominant over boxing?  Is "bone breaking" really a fighting style?  How does high levels of martial arts training stack up against the real world application of Pit Fighting (ala, Tank Abbott.)

Whether you look at Vale Tudo, Shooto, or the Ultimate Fighting Championship, it was a no holds barred/ minimal rules fighting competition.  Fighters of one style faced fighters of another. It was considered barbarism, not even allowed on pay per view. It wasn't until 1995 that Rick Blume, president and CEO of "Battlecade" coined the term "mixed martial arts", in turn helping to make the sport more socially acceptable.

It is my personal belief that mixed martial arts is no longer "mixed."  I believe that it has become a style all its own.  Sure, there are schools that teach Karate, Muay Thai and Jiu-jitsu.  But we now have schools that teach MMA, specifically combining different elements of different fighting styles for a synergistic effect.

While perusing one of my favorite MMA sites, cagepotato.com , I landed on this old school gem that many of you have probably seen:

Ryan Couture: Should We Believe the Hype?

Ryan Couture, is the (in)famous son of UFC/MMA legend and ground breaker, Randy "the Natural" Couture (not that you needed me to tell you.)  Ryan fought last night on "Strikerforce: Challenger Series," to emerge victorious by submission over BJJ fighter Lee Higgins.

While the commentators, promotion, and familial legacy would have us believe that Ryan is the next coming of an MMA Jesus, I can't help but wonder: Should we really believe what we are being told?

With me tonight is a long time associate, "Big D".  Big D is a Las Vegas financial professional, married with children, who still finds time to be an advocate and train in MMA (take that, fat America.)

(For the record, I love my country; we just happen to eat a lot of fast food and not exercise.) 

Junior Dos Santos: Am I the Only One?

     "Dude, what's the big deal? It's just me and my BFF.  It's not like we're holding hands...at the moment."

 (For the record, this is not an actual quote.)

 The UFC recently announced that the upcoming season of "The Ultimate Fighter" would be coached by former heavy weight champ, Brock Lesnar, and current contender Junior Dos Santos.  At the culmination of the season, the two will square off in June.

Apparently, the outcome of this battle is a foregone conclusion.

Vegas sports books are already showing Lesnar as a strong underdog.  This prompts me to ask:

Why?

The Solution

Editor's note:  Don't read this article until you have read the previous one, as this is a continuation.  Seriously;  don't do it. Don't you fucking do it.

Winner of Fitch vs. Penn to Get a Shot at the Welterweight Title

The UFC brass has announced that the winner of the main event at " UFC 127: Fitch vs. Penn"  will get a shot at whoever holds the title after the collision between welterweight champ GSP and long established contender Jake Shields.  This prompts me to ask a few questions.  Firstly:

Who the hell cares?

Fedor

I'm not going to waste time telling the story of Fedor Emilianenko.  I won't delve into his history, his legacy, or what he is to the sport of MMA.  Quite frankly, there is too much to go over.  If you don't know who he is you can go to Youtube or Google him.


I am here to discuss this past Saturday evening, where he faced "Bigfoot" Silva.

This is not an in depth breakdown or analysis of the fight, but rather a former fighters' defense of the "Baddest Man on the Planet".  Fedor's loss this past Saturday has brought out a surprising amount of naysayers.  People that were formerly staunch supporters of "the Last Emperor" are now trumpeting his downfall, and how the game has passed him by.  He lost his edge.  Too many years fighting cans.  His heart isn't in it anymore.

It's fucking insulting.