Fighters Only

Issue 132

September 2015

The sport’s strangest stories from around the globe.

Cruising for a bruising

Andaman Sea, Thailand

Avast, me hearties, and batten down the hatches on the good ship Libra for some swashbuckling MMA action. For possibly the first time, a cage was taken onto the high seas on a 710ft cruise liner for Mixed Martial A’rr, a 10-fight showdown between the salty sea dogs of #teampirates and the landlubbers of #teammma.

The men and women giving it a heave ho on the top deck included veterans from One Championship and international editions of The Ultimate Fighter, as well as some inexperienced and overmatched opponents who were quickly made to walk the plank. First-class fighting this was not, as main-event fighter Matt Pellino reportedly missed weight by almost 10kg before he beat Malaysian favorite Nik Harris via heel hook in the first round.

But the event was a success and buccaneers on a luxury trip from Penang, Malaysia to Phuket, Thailand, were entertained with everything an old salt needs for a proper pugilistic pirate party before they abandoned ship.

The event was promoted by Tune Talk, which is also behind the Malaysian Invasion MMA amateur tournament series. Following the success of the show, the telecoms company indicated it’s likely to weigh anchor for another show in the future.

Steven Seagal's aikido ‘Masterclass’

Saratov, Russia

You’d have to raise questions about the legitimacy of Steven Seagal’s latest appearance at a Russian sambo tournament, after the overweight 63-year-old took out a dual attack from two ‘martial artists’ with the apparent reflexes of a panther.

It would be fair to say that eyebrows were raised as the star of new flick The Mercenary: Absolution ‘threw’ his enthusiastic ‘attackers’ across the mat. It looked like he may have had more than a little help. After all, he is close with Vladimir Putin, and the infamous Russian president doubtless wanted to give the man he proposed as his country’s envoy to the United States the red-carpet treatment.

Now we’re not saying Sensei Seagal has no credible martial arts background, after all, the man is a legitimate 7th-dan black belt in Aikido, but after his claims of responsibility for the fight-finishing techniques of Anderson Silva and Lyoto Machida were debunked, take anything he does with a generous pinch of salt.

Subs and robbers

Dublin, Ireland

While some members of SBG Ireland have been based in Las Vegas for the past few months to help Conor McGregor sharpen his tools to face José Aldo, back home one member of the Dublin fight team was generating headlines of his own.

Brazilian jiu-jitsu blue belt Brian Harrington, still reeling after suffering a break-in at his home a week earlier, chased down and apprehended two burglars who were in the process of ransacking a waterworks in a neighboring street.

After giving chase, Harrington, who is also a metal musician, ducked a punch before restraining the first robber with a rear naked choke until the law arrived. Then he took off with a neighbor and they caught a second man; this time Harrington said he used a shoulder lock to keep him down.

He posted on Facebook: “Hopefully some justice is served. I would like to mention that all of the above was done while I was wearing a Batman T-shirt.”