MaxUFC
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Thsi is for anyone who think MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) as know as PrideFc, UFC aka Ultimate Figthing Championship what they thought brutal and bloodthirsty events.
Fighting For Pride
The World’s Best Fighters Compete in Japan in a High-Stakes, High-Glamour Event
If you were sitting among the 40,000 other fans at the average Pride FC event, at first glance the spectacle you saw in front of you might look like pro wrestling- flashy entrances with lights and music, a larger-than-life announcer, and legions of fans cheering for their favourites. But if you were to take a closer look and see the strikes land hard and fast and the victors and defeated establish themselves, you would begin to realize that the men inside the Pride ring were most definitely playing for keeps.
To critics unfamiliar with the sport of Mixed Martial Arts, a larger sport in which PrideFC is only the largest promotion, the action inside the ring is often instantly denounced as violent, uncouth, and bloodthirsty- but this belies the true nature of the sport. Safety is the paramount concern in all Mixed Martial Arts promotions, and the fight can be stopped at any time by either a fighter, his corner, or the referee if it seems one fighter is in danger or has lost. Seven doctors are at ringside for every fight, and to date no serious injuries outside of broken limbs or ribs have occurred during a match. The rules of the promotion are designed to uphold ‘the safety of the fighters and the integrity of the match’. Without going into too much depth in the rules, everything truly unsafe or undignified is strictly prohibited, and there are 4 distinct weight classes to keep fights as evenly matched as possible. In truth, one watching a Pride fight for the first time is more likely to be bored by methodical and nuanced work by both fighters (particularly when both fighters are on the ground) than shocked and appalled by expected gratuitous violence. The most common “why aren’t they hitting each other?” complaint by the casual viewer underscores the reality that this is a sport in which professionals who compete for a living participate in rather than some kind of unregulated bloodsport. While there are always exceptions, the prevailing attitude of fighters towards each other is sportsmanship and tremendous respect, the likes of which is definitely not seen in mainstream team sports here in North America.
This is not to say that the system is perfect- far from it. High demand for Japanese fighters playing the role of David to take on foreign Goliaths often creates mismatches that can be dangerous- a critique exemplified by the match between Bob Sapp (6’4, 350 lbs) and Kiyoshi Tamura (5’9, 183 lbs) that lasted all of 11 seconds and resembled a high school senior attacking a 7th grader. But such shockers are most definitely the exception to the rule. For fans of the sport, the competition offers heart-pumping excitement, human drama, and variety not seen in other sports. The diversity of styles and their match-ups with each other are perhaps one of the most interesting aspects of the sport. To be successful, fighters must be proficient in striking, wrestling, and submissions, among other things. The system of submission is a foreign concept to in North America; competitors skilled in styles like jiu-jitsu and judo win by utilizing locks and holds which cause their competitors to quickly ‘submit’ by tapping their opponent or the mat to ‘say uncle’, which results in a quick release of the hold and a victory.
PRIDE and its rivals, primarily the K-1 kickboxing organization, are big business in Japan- the typical venue for a Pride event, the Saitama Super Arena, is almost triple the size of GM Place here in Vancouver and the more high-stakes events sell the building out. The premier fighters are thought to earn around $300k a fight, although the much-publicized bout between Olympic judo gold medalist Hidehiko Yoshida and Olympic silver medalist and popular Japanese pro wrestler Naoya Ogawa drew paycheques of two million dollars each. With such attractive pay, PRIDE attracts many of the world’s best fighters; chief among them Pride’s Heavyweight Champion, Fedor Emelianenko of Russia. Undefeated in his entire career, Fedor’s expressionless, emotionless composure while fighting and truly amazing power, speed, skill, and resilience has earned him near-reverence among fans of the sport and superlative nicknames like “The Last Emperor”. To many, he exemplifies the ideal of the mixed martial arts athlete; a quiet, comparatively physically unassuming man, who is extremely humble and family oriented in his personal life.
Since then I watched almost every MMA events. Boxing got 200 dead boxers last 100 years comapred to MMA got few dead fighters...just not thinking that like the movie "Bloodsport" with Vam Damme. Every fighters came from hard workiign with the best training. Few of them came from Olympics - wrestling, judo, karate. Few of them - NCAA champions. Yes, I do still respect any who against that kind of fighting...all I said - "Just don't watching and go watch NFL games to see anyone get hit and break bones or broke neck to left few players on wheelchair"
Fighting For Pride
The World’s Best Fighters Compete in Japan in a High-Stakes, High-Glamour Event
If you were sitting among the 40,000 other fans at the average Pride FC event, at first glance the spectacle you saw in front of you might look like pro wrestling- flashy entrances with lights and music, a larger-than-life announcer, and legions of fans cheering for their favourites. But if you were to take a closer look and see the strikes land hard and fast and the victors and defeated establish themselves, you would begin to realize that the men inside the Pride ring were most definitely playing for keeps.
To critics unfamiliar with the sport of Mixed Martial Arts, a larger sport in which PrideFC is only the largest promotion, the action inside the ring is often instantly denounced as violent, uncouth, and bloodthirsty- but this belies the true nature of the sport. Safety is the paramount concern in all Mixed Martial Arts promotions, and the fight can be stopped at any time by either a fighter, his corner, or the referee if it seems one fighter is in danger or has lost. Seven doctors are at ringside for every fight, and to date no serious injuries outside of broken limbs or ribs have occurred during a match. The rules of the promotion are designed to uphold ‘the safety of the fighters and the integrity of the match’. Without going into too much depth in the rules, everything truly unsafe or undignified is strictly prohibited, and there are 4 distinct weight classes to keep fights as evenly matched as possible. In truth, one watching a Pride fight for the first time is more likely to be bored by methodical and nuanced work by both fighters (particularly when both fighters are on the ground) than shocked and appalled by expected gratuitous violence. The most common “why aren’t they hitting each other?” complaint by the casual viewer underscores the reality that this is a sport in which professionals who compete for a living participate in rather than some kind of unregulated bloodsport. While there are always exceptions, the prevailing attitude of fighters towards each other is sportsmanship and tremendous respect, the likes of which is definitely not seen in mainstream team sports here in North America.
This is not to say that the system is perfect- far from it. High demand for Japanese fighters playing the role of David to take on foreign Goliaths often creates mismatches that can be dangerous- a critique exemplified by the match between Bob Sapp (6’4, 350 lbs) and Kiyoshi Tamura (5’9, 183 lbs) that lasted all of 11 seconds and resembled a high school senior attacking a 7th grader. But such shockers are most definitely the exception to the rule. For fans of the sport, the competition offers heart-pumping excitement, human drama, and variety not seen in other sports. The diversity of styles and their match-ups with each other are perhaps one of the most interesting aspects of the sport. To be successful, fighters must be proficient in striking, wrestling, and submissions, among other things. The system of submission is a foreign concept to in North America; competitors skilled in styles like jiu-jitsu and judo win by utilizing locks and holds which cause their competitors to quickly ‘submit’ by tapping their opponent or the mat to ‘say uncle’, which results in a quick release of the hold and a victory.
PRIDE and its rivals, primarily the K-1 kickboxing organization, are big business in Japan- the typical venue for a Pride event, the Saitama Super Arena, is almost triple the size of GM Place here in Vancouver and the more high-stakes events sell the building out. The premier fighters are thought to earn around $300k a fight, although the much-publicized bout between Olympic judo gold medalist Hidehiko Yoshida and Olympic silver medalist and popular Japanese pro wrestler Naoya Ogawa drew paycheques of two million dollars each. With such attractive pay, PRIDE attracts many of the world’s best fighters; chief among them Pride’s Heavyweight Champion, Fedor Emelianenko of Russia. Undefeated in his entire career, Fedor’s expressionless, emotionless composure while fighting and truly amazing power, speed, skill, and resilience has earned him near-reverence among fans of the sport and superlative nicknames like “The Last Emperor”. To many, he exemplifies the ideal of the mixed martial arts athlete; a quiet, comparatively physically unassuming man, who is extremely humble and family oriented in his personal life.
Since then I watched almost every MMA events. Boxing got 200 dead boxers last 100 years comapred to MMA got few dead fighters...just not thinking that like the movie "Bloodsport" with Vam Damme. Every fighters came from hard workiign with the best training. Few of them came from Olympics - wrestling, judo, karate. Few of them - NCAA champions. Yes, I do still respect any who against that kind of fighting...all I said - "Just don't watching and go watch NFL games to see anyone get hit and break bones or broke neck to left few players on wheelchair"
