Perhaps I’m getting old, but MMA fans and the online MMA community are starting to get to me. There are always trolls, always debate, and always useless fandom, but the thing that’s killing me is the random subjective arguments. Between all the debates about Top Ten, Top Pound for Pound, Best Entrance Music and such, I can barely spend five hours on a message board anymore
Tito Ortiz is a lot of things. He’s brash, cocky, determined, a champion, an icon and now, going into UFC 148, a UFC Hall of Famer. From flipping Shamrock the bird, to Tito is in the house, to Dana is my Bitch, Tito has run the gamut of UFC emotions and realities during his 15 year tenure with the UFC. As that tenure comes to a close, let’s look back at the polarizing moments that made you love Tito Ortiz, and others love to hate him.
This Saturday, Invicta Fighting Championships will hold its debut show in Kansas City, KS. The card features accomplished women, such as, former 135-pound Strikeforce champion, Marloes Coenen, as well as, former title challenger Liz Carmouche.
Wanderlei Silva was reborn a week ago today in San Jose. His impressive TKO finish of film and television star Cung Le was reminiscent of the Wanderlei who went undefeated in 18 straight fights under the PRIDE Fighting Championships banner.
On November 12, 1993 the UFC held its inaugural event in Denver and the martial arts world was introduced to Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and a non assuming man by the name Royce Gracie. I remember watching it on pay per view and being fascinated by the fact it had no rules (there were), the teeth knocking blows, and just the sheer violence being displayed. Then I saw Royce Gracie step inside the octagon and latch himself onto his opponents like he was an anaconda and literally squeeze the breath out of his opponents. I didn’t know what mixed martial arts were at the time but I knew I had to watch every subsequent event the UFC would ever hold; and I have.
Saturday, August 27 will mark the return of the UFC to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – arguably the birthplace of MMA after Royce Gracie introduced Brazilian jiu jitsu to us all years ago. That changing of the guard will happen once the gate is locked for Brendan “The Hybrid” Schaub and Antonio “Minotauro” Nogueira.
Ever since the UFC announced that the MMA superpower would put their August event on in Brazil, MMA pioneer Royce Gracie has campaigned for the opportunity to compete on the card. While putting the 44 old BJJ Black belt back in the Octagon has brought out opinions on both sides, one question needs to be answered… who the heck would fight him?
Ok, let’s all disregard the obvious question here, which is, WHY Royce Gracie should fight at UFC Rio. This isn’t like baseball where the old times can come in, throw out the ceremonial first pitch and then wave to fans as he steps off the mound and into immortality. This is a sport, where your opponent tries to render you either unconscious or unable to defend yourself. He knows this and still wants to fight, so the question isn’t why should Royce fight, I guess, it’s who should Royce Fight.
