If you know me and what I'm about, you understand my begrudging acceptance of today's MMA. Once the headbutts were taken away and you couldn't grind the heel of your sneaker on a man's face, the sport began to take a turn towards main stream acceptance, yet lost the grit of reality combat. While the changes to the rules allowed the sport to reach larger audiences and become an … [Read more...]
MMA Campfire Tales Celebrates: Don “The Predator” Frye
It was February 16th, 1996. The UFC was on the cusp of major reactionary law-making that would plunge the sport into the underground for years, though this was largely lost on me. Just your average everyday fight fan, I settled down in front of my Grandmother's awesome projection TV with friends and family for our latest cage fight fix with UFC 8. We were ready to feast on the … [Read more...]
MMA Campfire Tales: MMA Cop-outs
UFC is back in Japan huh? I don't see what the point is. Unless you're holding a tournament with Sakuraba and Tank Abbott in the same weight bracket, I'm not interested in what's going on in the land of the rising sun. Back in my day, the only reason you fought in Japan was to avoid an athletic commission. Who's to tell two men they can't fight with razor blades strapped to … [Read more...]
MMA Campfire Tales: Tactical Errors
Flyweights are coming, and we're already infested with Bantam and Featherweights. As for me, the only weight class I recognize is the open weight class. Back in my day, no one ever cut weight. They were too busy cutting your face with full mount headbutts to give a shit about what a scale said. Ah, the good old days of MMA. They're long gone now; Swallowed by commissions and … [Read more...]
MMA Campfire Tales: Soul Crush
You kids don't know nothing. Do you think MMA just fell from the sky the night TUF first aired? Do you think Randy Couture hatched from an Olympic-caliber egg with a belt around his waist? Do you think Ken Shamrock's face always looked like lukewarm hamburger helper? Oh no, you kids missed out on EVERYTHING. This monolith of MMA is built upon the past. Jon Jones is holding a … [Read more...]