A Fighting Champion

A Fighting Champion: How Champions should face adversity
Posted by: Marcus
As an MMA fan, and a fan of Mauricio "Shogun" Rua, you probably have assumed by this point that I was disappointed by the finale of UFC 104. I was sitting in the home of my closest friend, both of us on the edge of our seats, as we saw Shogun pick apart one of the pound for pound greatest fighters on the planet. Lyoto Machida, who many had assumed would destroy Shogun after annihilating Rashad Evans, was systematically weakened and beaten up by the vicious leg and body kicks of a man who is a master of Muay Thai. After five rounds had finished, Lyoto looked like he could barely walk, and Shogun looked ready to fight another five rounds if he had to. It was quite possibly the most technical battle ever seen in MMA, and easily the fight of the year. However, the judges must have been watching some other fight, because they gave Lyoto Machida the win, followed by a crowd booing the judges for their faulty decision.

However, in regards to this blog entry, that wasn't what caught my ear. Machida could have easily walked away from another fight with Shogun and fought someone else, like the winner of Evans vs Thiago Silva, or the winner of Griffin vs Ortiz. Instead, he agreed to a rematch as soon as he could fight again, and the fans will get to see the two best light heavyweight mixed martial artists battle again. It is my belief that this is how a true champion acts.

Too often in other sports do we see champions not face the best competition in the world, simply because their camps won't allow it to happen, or because of fear. Floyd "Money" Mayweather is a shining example of this. If you're not familiar with Mayweather, he's a coward. This is one of the two best boxers in the world right now, and he refuses to fight the one man who could beat him. That person is Manny "Pac Man" Pacquiao. Truthfully, I might be a little harsh with Mayweather, but I know I'm not the only one who thinks that a fight between the two won't happen. Many boxing aficionados have also been quoted as saying "Mayweather would fight Cotto, but never Pacquiao. Pacquiao can defeat him."

When it comes down to it, a true champion is a tested champion. To call yourself the best in the world, you must fight the best in the world, and win. Anderson Silva is easily the pound-for-pound best fighter in the world because he has never backed down, and annihilated the best in the world in two weight divisions. B.J. Penn has fought in two divisions, held titles in two different divisions, and never backs down from a challenge. Matt Hughes is called the most dominant champion the UFC has ever have because he's defeated every single UFC Welterweight Champion sans Pat Miletich. Do you, the reader, see the pattern?

I know that many people say that Dana White is MMA's anti-christ, but you all know for a fact that he's correct when he says, "the best in the world fight the best in the world." Fact of the matter is, can people who don't fight the best really be called the best? Fedor Emelianenko passed up on the chance to fight Brock Lesnar to fight in Strikeforce, where his first fight is against Brett Rogers, and his inevitable ending will be fighting Alistair Overeem. In the UFC, he could have fought Lesnar, Mir, Minotauro, Velasquez, Carwin, etc. The same goes for Mayweather. Floyd is not the best in the world, because he's backing down from fighting the best in the world, whereas Manny doesn't have that issue. In the world of Boxing, look at why Ali is considered the greatest of all time. Not only has he fought some of the all-time greatest fighters, he defeated them, some by KO.

To finish it up, I have to say that though I disagree with UFC 104's decision, I do agree that Machida acted like a true champion afterward. He's willing to fight the best, and I think that's the way that the best should act. Truth be told, I think that sports businesses like the UFC are good for fighting. If look look at lists of the top ten in every division, notice how most of the people on those lists are in the UFC or WEC (which is owned by Zuffa) and the rest, truth be told, are over-hyped to degrees. I think that a champion is forged in the hottest fires, and is never scared of being there. Georges St. Pierre once said, "I'm always ready for the fight." That, I think, sums up what true champions think.

Stupid Things in MMA.

Stupid Things in Current Mixed Martial Arts
Posted by: Marcus


To be honest with all of my readers right now, this week has outright sucked for me. I'm irritable, angry, and have an incredibly short fuse, so bear with me if I'm not thinking one hundred percent clearly. Right now, my mindset is along the lines of, "next person who steps on my toes gets a personal visit from a right straight to the jaw."

With that being said, I've got a new MMA article for you! Truthfully, it's just another opinion piece, but it's better than nothing, right? So, let's get started.


I'm starting to get the impression that Frank Mir is not a very bright individual. Don't get me wrong when I say that Frank Mir is an incredibly talented young man, who still has a long career in MMA. He's been in the top ten for a long time, and will probably stay there, because he's become much more well rounded as time has gone on. With that said, his announced gameplan against French striker Chieck Kongo is outright moronic. Kongo is most famous for out-striking Mirco Cro Cop, and knocking out Assuerio Silva, Mostapha Al-Turk (sans eye poke), and Antoni Hardonk. He also rocked Cain Velasquez with the first punch he threw in their fight. Am I the only one thinking that trading with this guy is stupid? If I were Frank, I'd get my head out of my colon and think of how to win a fight, because being brutally destroyed twice isn't good for one's career.


Junie Browning has just been canned by the UFC. After an altercation at a hospital where he was being treated for trying to overdose on anti-anxiety medicine, he threatened to kill and rape a nurse's family. Coming from my perspective, I think that Junie had potential to be a really solid lightweight in the UFC. All he needed to do was get out of Kentucky, get involved with a camp that would help him grow as both a fighter and a person (like Xtreme Couture, H.I.T. Squad, or Greg Jackson's Gym) and take time to treat old wounds. Now, he's becoming a cautionary tale for what not to do, and will now simply serve as a warning for anyone looking to get into the game of MMA. I stand by what I said about season eight of The Ultimate Fighter, and that cast had a lot of potential. Still does. I hope Junie can get his head on straight, but what he has done so far is downright idiotic.


Season ten of The Ultimate Fighter, has been fairly lackluster thus far, but I have to say that the last episode changed my perspectives a little bit. To be quite honest, after Rampage throwing a hissy fit and quitting the UFC, and then abandoning his fighter in the middle of the cage in episode four, I don't really like Rampage very much anymore. I'm also finding myself liking Rashad as a human being. Despite all the trash he has been talking, he went over to an opposing fighter and helped to build him up. Truthfully, that is a level of sportsmanship that we don't get to see very much any more, and I'm happy to see that, and shocked to see it from the former Light Heavyweight champion. This season, truth be told, is killing Rampage's fanbase, and he's bringing it upon himself. It will probably raise Rashad's fanbase as well, considering that this season of the Ultimate Fighter is allowing us to see him as a person, and see how much he has changed since Season two. With that being said, I'll still probably never root for Rashad as a fighter. I think that he's talented, and can grow, but I think that once he steps inside that octagon, he becomes a jerk. Given the opportunity, I will say that I would share a pizza with this guy, and that is twenty times more than what I could say a month ago.

To close this out, I want to simply say that none of these are that stupid in comparison to giving Barack Obama the Nobel Peace Prize. Good night, and good luck, folks.