Scatterbrains AKA This Is A Shoot!!

Once Upon A Time In Michigan AKA The Jihad Needs To Mobilize.

Zach Arnold of Fight Opinion fame has put out an interesting article about the bill being formed to legitimize MMA in the state of Michigan.

From the Grand Rapids Press...

The most troubling aspect of the bill: Promoters of mixed martial arts would be required to provide each contestant with minimum insurance coverages of $5,000 for medical and hospitalization, and $10,000 for accidental death, just three years after the legislature approved new minimums of $50,000 each for boxing.

Until boxing was overhauled in 2004, its insurance minimums, set in 1952, were $5,000.

Given that backdrop, why pass a law providing mixed martial artists with one-tenth the medical coverage, and one-fifth the loss-of-life coverage, of pro boxers?

For those who don't don't have the time to read both articles, here's the summery....

The MMA Bill that being mulled around at the moment has an outrageously high license fee and outrageously low insurance premiums.

This will tremendously hurt the MMA community economically, physically and technically.

Everybody and their mom knows that an average sized dojo or MMA school isn't going to have that much bread on them to get a licence and if they put out a loan, they're going to have to pray to their gods that they get a miraculous sellout crowd just to pay it back. Even if there was booster clubs formed, there's no way grassroots promotions is going to get the cash for just a license.

So who's going to be benefiting from this bill?

Why pro organizations and money marks. That's who.

This same bill that's trying to stifle illegal activity is a wide open door with keys for the likes of "The King of Bay City" Art Dore, Neil "The Knife" Helmkay and all of their associates. The economic opportunities I talked about happening once we regulated the sport....not happening. Events sponsored by local businesses will not happen. None will be created. The only things you'll see behind these events is the business ventures of both men which are doing pretty well as it is. All that possible revenue will be pocketed by the people who need it less and the "Know Nothing" Gangs reign triumphant.

If that isn't a piss in the pants, think of the fighters. Without the grassroot support of the schools, they're all under the shadow of the marks. It would totally be worthless to fight in Michigan if this bill passes because you'll never be able to build a quality record here. Quality fighters would be at the mercy of the mark's matchmaker AKA the marks themselves. Forget that your opponent is 15 to 50 pounds heavier then you or that his skill and technique is on the level of a JV high school wrestler or that his cardio will fall out a minute into the match. never mind if the dude a) is big b) can make the bag bend when he hits it and c) his head is far up the mark's ass, you're fighting him or you won't get paid your $200 dollars. You could be a super quality fighter, but the semi-pros will never know it because of all the cans the mark throws at you. Without quality opponents, no one will know the whole picture of the fighter and therefore the fighter will have to retire or move to greener pastures in Ohio or Illinois. This will in turn, create a desolate community without a fanbase and another lost cause in economic growth and communal pride. Sure, some of our fighters will go on to make it big, but who will really know about them.

It's a very frustrating time for the Michigan MMA community.

The Grunts Are Dying While The Generals Have Their Breakfast.

While we're on the subject of fighting money marks, where in the hell is our major media sources on the subject? Yes I'm looking at you Sherdog and MMA Weekly. You went to cover the Tommy Morrison debacle, yet done nothing to expose the promoter as the failed money mark he is. Sure you can crow about "this wasn't regulated" and "It was on an Indian reservation so it wasn't regulated", but anyway you angle it, you dropped the ball. It is your job, nay, your duty to stop marks from being the scum they are and help real MMA promoters grow. You did none of this.

And you expect everyone to take this sport seriously?

How can it do this when the sport's own media hasn't dropped it balls yet and gone for the jugular on these creeps?

Why is it me and others busting our asses to try to make this sport, our sport, safe as possible and to make sure none of this falls to the wayside and become another pro-wrestling while you guys can't even report on allegations of yakuza activity within the halls of DSE and PRIDE, leading to it's inevitable demise?

You guys are supposed to be the masthead of MMA Journalism. You're the be all end all of MMA information. You're supposed to be exposing money marks and teaching a thing or two to the Stick And Ball media about the sport. In the words of George Clooney in From Dusk Till Dawn, you're supposed to be "A motherfucking servant of God".

But you decide to rest on your laurels.

Congratulations. You won. We made it.

Now pretty please, with sugar on top, do your fucking job.

If you don't want to, that's fine. We'll be grateful to pick up the slack and actually try to make something of this sport.

A Worked Fight In PRIDE!? Unpossible!!

I got to laugh at people who got shocked when Rampage to the media that his fight with Sakuraba was supposed to be worked. That has got to be the funniest thing I head the whole day. We're talking about a time frame where the organization was still under the shadow of Antonio Inoki and Nobuhiko Takada was trying to still pas himself of as a "credible" Mixed Martial Artist. if anything, it just makes that whole period of PRIDE a bit more ridiculous.

Now if PRIDE told CroCop to dive for Dos Caras. Then...I'll be shocked.

PRIDE is to MC5 as UFC is to Rage.

So I'm going through all my LPs, and I pulled out Kick Out The Jams by MC5. Amid the scratches and pops of the record, my thoughts turn on a couple things. The thing that really comes up is how both original and cover versions of the song really reflect what is radiated from both Pride and UFC. The image and dramatic force radiated by both are on totally different levels.

For those not familiar with the song I'll try to be brief. KOTJ was the second song on the same titled album put out by the politically conscious group MC5 (Motor City 5) who will be later label the founders of Punk Rock. One of the big reasons the song was popular was that it started out with the line "And Now It's Time To.....KICK OUT THE JAMS MOTHERFUCKERS!!" The blatant use of "Motherfuckers" and playing a concert for anti-war protesters was very controversial at the time and it lead to the record company, Elektra, dropping the band. The album was and still is considered one of the best live albums so far.

Another reason KOTJ is so popular is that people seem to think there is a political message behind the song. They're pretty much wrong. This is a bullshit song. There is no political context whatsoever. "Kick Out The Jams" was just a musical rant about how bands waste peoples time by just jamming and not playing music and they should just "kick out the jams." On the the other hand, there is the underlying subtext of "being yourself and giving it your all". To give everything you got till you can't give no more.

PRIDE is (or was) the embodiment of that subtext. If you were going out into that ring, you pretty damn well need to be willing to leave it all in the ring because the other guy probably is. Being able to try almost everything possible to either get the win or try your damn hardest to keep the win from your opponent. In the end, whether you win, lose or draw, if you put it all out on the line and put on an enjoyable fight, you both are winners. You'll both will be coming back. You'd get deals and such galore, just because you left it all in the ring.

And that's how it should be. You're not only entertaining and impressing the fans at the event, you're showing to the judges in your match what you are capable of doing, how far you're willing to go in terms of risks taken and what your own willpower can provide in this situation. You just might also impress yourself in the match by see how quick of wits you have and what you can come up with in times of extreme stress. In the end, no matter if your arm is raised or you're on the mat, a bloody mass and out like a light, if you tried your hardest and gave it truly your all, you come out the winner just the same.

Now like all good songs, you're going to have your share of homages, covers and ripoffs. KOTJ is no different. In my listening to the various recordings of KOTJ covers, I've come to the conclusion that no one can do a standout performance of the song. Now before everyone gets their panties in the bunch, I urge you to hear me out as I explain myself.

It is a very simple and logical understanding that someone doing a cover will not be %100 percent as great as the original song. All that's asked of the person doing the cover is that they put a real great effort in either playing the song or totally putting your own spin on the material. Out of all the people who did covers for KOTJ (Rage Against The Machine, Hellacopters, Jeff Buckley, Silverchair, etc.), they do an awesome job playing the song. Awesome job. But everyone totally blows the subtext. In all of the covers, everyone plays the song like it's just another song. There is somehow this...underlining restraint that they have to play the song right. That's total nonsense. If you play the song full hilt, totally get into it, just show your balls and leaving every last bit of energy on the stage, if you fuck up a couple cords or screw up a couple lyrics, it won't matter to anyone because they see that you're totally into the whole song and are pretty much doing the same thing you're doing. Putting energy into the music. All these covers out today are the total blatant use of "motherfucker" line to an invisible band that's "just jamming" and then they totally contradict themselves by just jamming.

Such is the plight of the UFC. Sure, they have great fighters and they do put out wonderful fights. They just don't encourage something of an effort to leave everything in the ring. You have people relying too much on "getting points" on judges scorecards to win. You have people relying on one style to stop and finish opponents instead of challenging themselves and try other avenues. And the overall product turns boring, mediocre or just nothing to write about fully. Sure, you're going to get a couple of great fight out of a UFC card, but when has anyone almost literally gush over a whole UFC card? When have you heard people talk about THE UFC card?

While I do credit Dana White for working with the NJSAC about getting knees on a downed opponent, it will still be up to time and effort before we see any result of this. It should also be noted that even if certain moves are legalized or banned, it's still up to the fighter to bring his S game or not. It is becoming harder and harder to validate theses guys who fight in the UFC as legit fighters if they're not willing to leave everything and more out on that ring. The McCulley/Hardonk fight is a great example of guys going out to fight but aren't willing to go balls out. Hardonk had this match, but didn't put an effort to try to win the match.While the only thing McCulley did was push weight. As the great Ric Flair would say, there are a lot of guys busting their ass to get the opportunity McCulley was given. To let it just waste away with that performance is a slap in the face to them all.

Next month, Zuffa will have full control over Pride. The indications on how it will be run is not good, but then again, weirder things have happened. The future is uncertain.

Will they actually play music or will they just be kicking out jams.

A look at Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira in UFC

As many UFC fans now know, former PRIDE heavyweight Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira was introduced as UFC's latest acquisition at UFC 69. Many MMA fans -- both hardcore and casual – have asked me about Nogueira and his potential impact on UFC. Here are some of my thoughts on the fighter known as “Minotauro”.

Most MMA fans know that Big Nog -- as Nogueira is also known -- is a world-class grappler but they tend to forget that he also has Olympic-grade hands. In fact, he had the Brazilian and Cuban Olympic boxing teams begging for him to be on their teams. In the UFC, Nogueira could end up being the catalyst forcing fighters to get serious about their boxing because once he is in that cage and the bell rings, his fists could render a number of opponents unconscious. Nogueira’s punches are crisp, his jab is strong, and anyone who tries to bang it out with him will have a difficult time winning.

Hey! Honor the oyabun. Check out MMA Madness!

Goodbye Yellow Brick Road

1998-2007

As many of you may know by now, the Fertittas have bought PRIDE from DSE and is now running it as a seperate company. They now own the name, the library and the fighter contracts. In a way, they have finally won.

When I had heard the news, to be honest, I didn't want to happen. As a pro-wrestling fan, I and others have been bitter and cynical with these two in one deals and the results there in. As I was reading report after report, I kept hearing RD Reynolds in the back of my head.

Pride was not suppose to die.

I almost was going to call this article "Oct '95 part deux" in honor of the date Nobuhiko Takada's pro wrestling organization, UWFi, merged with New Japan Pro Wrestling. Fast forward twelve years later, and now you have, let's face it, Takada's PRIDE merging with UFC.

But I'm not. PRIDE, in a technical sense, is dead. It wasn't killed by egotistical fighters, bookers who had no clue how to make a fight or managers who throw money at problems rather then give up and coming fighters a chance at the big boys. What killed it was the very old Japanese belief that everybody knows everybody does wrong but it's turns evil if you get caught. Everybody knew the fight scene was in part, run by the Yakuza. Pride got punished when it was proven to be true.

So I should be happy, right? PRIDE is under new management and now everything will be hunky dory and we will finally see who's better who's best.

Not neccisarily.

From the Review Journal...

"This is a sport and we're going to follow the unified rules that were established in New Jersey and then in Nevada," White said. "It's a sport -- mixed martial arts -- and the sport should have the same rules everywhere. As far as I'm concerned, if an organization doesn't follow these rules, it's not MMA. It's something else, but that's not MMA."

Ok, just to make things clear. I'm am not for either rule set. There are many negatives for both. While Pride rules wouldn't be accepted on a social level, Unified rules will not be accepted on a technical level. With that being said, I think it was a really bad descion to totally eradicate the Pride ruleset. I can undrstand getting rid of stomps and soccer kicks. While Japan can accept that part of strategy, Americans aren't wired that way yet. We still have this thing where we have to reject our violent nature for some reason. Knees to a downed opponent is certainly debatable and does deserve debate. I think...when they abolished Pride rules, they got rid of the most important thing of any worth. The Yellow Card System.

For those who dion't follow PRIDE. The yellow card system is a penalty system that was used to stop intentional stalling. If you don't finish the fight or at least try to finish the fight, you were given a yellow card and you lose 10% of your purse. You're allowed two yellow cards and if you continue to stall or get worse by messing to the ref, you got a red card which took away 20-25% of the purse away. This was the whole meat of the whole ruleset. The Fertittas has something good in their hands that they could at least test out in Japan with the Unified rules and they blew it away. It's gone. Kaput! Fin! They wasted a great opportunity.

Also, the "Unified rules = MMA" comment Dana made really made him look like a fool. The Japanesse people are more knowledgeable about the fight game then people in the US. The statement Dana made is pretty much a dare to the japanesse people to leave. As soon as you get the first wrestler that lays and prays in PRIDE, I will garentee a huge chunk of the fanbase will leave. They know fighters when they see them and if you're going to feed them someone very boring be it striking and/or ground and they lay and pray the win, they will be off like a russian bra.

I'm sorry Mr. White, I can not and will not accept that unified rules are a way to go. It has a bias that benifits more simplistic styles and somewhat shun the advanced styles. It favors people who do not put much effort in their training over those who do. Thanks to the Unified rules, you have now made the ground poison.

I will be still watching, but the same intrest I had with PRIDE will not be the same when the Fertittas take control. I and other fans will look for greener pastures and follw new products that try to defy your rule.

And as the line goes from the song I reference in the title.

"I've finally decided my future lies beyond the yellow brick road."

PRIDE 33 Results and Notes

Joachim Hansen d Jason Ireland Sub R3.
Frank Trigg d Kazuo Misaki UD
James Lee d Travis Wiuff Sub R1.
Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou d Antonio Rogerio Nogueira KO R1.
Hayato Sakurai d Mac Danzig KO R2.
Sergey Kharitonov d Mike Russow Sub R1.
Mauricio Shogun d Alistair Overeem KO R1.
Nick Diaz d Takanori Gomi Sub R2
Middleweight Title Match: Dan Henderson d Vanderlei Silva KO R3.

Notes:

Wow. I don't know what to say.

- Misaki got his ass kicked by, for lack of any better terms, The head of Pride's version of the Spanish announcer's table. He totally got stuffed at the takedown and was just held down. I don't think Misaki's going to show his face in the ring for a while or at least till May. Very embarrassing defeat.

- Poor Rogerio. This was supposed to be an easy fight for him and he ends up getting floored by "Judo Terry". No one, I mean No one saw that knife fist coming. Rogerio has still got to be stinging over the lost. Look on the bright side, some clueless casuals made a total ass load of money.

- Gomi looked gassed after his first round with Diaz. Diaz totally out strike Gomi. it was like once Gomi got hit in the face a couple times, that was it. I think Gomi was to busy aiming for a KO that he put too much of himself in his punches. That really threw him off . Diaz....he fought to survive. His intent was to break something win, lose or draw. The gogo was a nice cherry on the whole situation. Gomi is going to have a hell of a time marketing himself now.

- Really bad night for Silva. Not only does he lose his belt, he loses it to a blown up middleweight. Henderson now is the first to hold two titles in two weight classes. What's up with Silva now is any one's guess. We might see Shogun going after the title next. Who knows.

PRIDE 33 coverage.

Fox Sports

MMA HQ

Gambling 911

Stephen Quadros

Zach Arnold: The Last Coming?

Fight Calender: Feburary

Boxing:

Feb. 10

WBC WW Title: "Sugar" Shane Mosley vs. Luis Collazo

MMA:

Feb. 10

Elite XC: Shamrock vs. Gracie

Feb. 23

IFL: Toronto Dragons/Portland Wolfpack, Chicago Red Bears/NY Pitbulls, Robbie Lawler vs. Eduardo Pamplona

Feb. 24

PRIDE 33: PRIDE MW Championship: Wanderlei Silva vs. Dan Henderson

Pro-Wrestling:

Feb. 11

TNA: TNA Title: Christian Cage vs. Kurt Angle

Feb. 16

ROH: ROH Title: Homicide vs. Jimmy Rave

Feb. 17

ROH: ROH Title: TBA vs. Takeshi Morishima, ROH Tag Titles: Christopher Daniels/Matt Sydal vs. Jack Evans/Shingo

Feb. 18

WWE*: John Cena/Shawn Michaels vs. Undertaker/David Batista

NJPW: IWGP Heavyweight Title: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Koji Kanemoto, IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Title: Minoru vs. Wataru Inoue, Kurt Angle/Yuji Nagata vs. Travis (Tyson) Tomko/Giant Bernard

Feb. 23

ROH: ROH Title: TBA vs. BJ Whitmer

Feb. 24

ROH: ROH Tag Titles: TBA vs. Jay & Mark Briscoe, Samoa Joe/Homicide vs. Takeshi Morishima/Nigel McGuinness

Feb. 25

NWA: Super Porky vs. Colt Cobana

*While The Smackdown Tag Titles are defended, it will be in a gimmick match and has not been added.