Issue 106

October 2013

The sport’s strangest stories from around the globe

BEIJING, CHINA

CHINESE POLICEMAN WILL MMA YOUR FACE OFF

Count the Chinese police force as one group you don’t want to tangle with. Not if they’re taking lessons from sanshou-meets-MMA ‘super cop’ here.

A three-minute demonstration video of a nameless Chinese police officer throwing, slamming and tripping a stand-in crim’ recently surfaced online, and it’s significantly more MMA than it is Steven Seagal. (These things have a tendency of being the reverse.)

It’s jam-packed with moves taken from MMA and sanshou constituent arts, like Muay Thai and judo, that have been tried and tested in the cage around the globe, and applied here in an unexpectedly badass manner to incapacitate lawbreakers. The officer executes several legit techniques and often with impressive form.

The jury’s out as to whether MMA or the Chinese magpie martial art of sanshou (a little like MMA before it existed anyway) can claim ownership of the slapping sheriff’s move-set. Though there are some implausible moments neither discipline would probably claim, like where he goes pro wrestling and locks up a camel clutch.

On the whole it makes an argument mixed martial arts skills can actually be the basis for a solid self-defense system. And reminds the world to steer clear of a life of crime in China.

CHINA GETS NEXT INTERNATIONAL TUF Series, Auditions Held in Asia

The UFC recently confirmed another international Ultimate Fighter spin-off, TUF: China. The Las Vegas promotion held tryouts for the show at the end of July and start of August in three different locations – Beijing, Macao and Singapore – confirming the season will feature fighters from across East Asia not just China. Vietnamese UFC 185lb striker and former Strikeforce middleweight champion Cung Le has “a real good chance” of being a coach on the series according to UFC president Dana White.

A SCREEN, YOUR TELEVISION

UFC VETERAN OLEG TAKTAROV EXPOSED AS KIDNAPPER OF STAR TREK’S WILLIAM SHATNER

UFC legend and part-time actor Oleg Taktarov has abducted William Shatner! In an advert. The Russian, who went 17-5-2 in his fight career, nabbed the Star Trek captain in a commercial for web-based discount travel company Priceline.

In the spot, Shatner reprises his long-running role as The Negotiator, helping people spend as little as possible on travel-related purchases, as does Big Bang Theory starlet Kaley Cuoco as Shatner’s daughter. The latter attempting to free the former from Russian captors – chief amongst them being ‘90s no-holds-barred mainstay Oleg Taktarov.

The Priceline pair quickly convinces ‘The Russian Bear’ to take a discounted break to sunnier climes and the camera cuts to a Speedo’d up Taktarov (who has appeared in flicks Predators and Bad Boys II) sipping a cocktail poolside.

For what it’s worth, Oleg only has two lines (“I like fun,” being the highlight) and he absolutely kills them. Get that man a real Hollywood role.

UFC veteran Oleg Taktarov has played three different characters called Boris in his acting career.

Ex BELLATOR MIDDLEWEIGHT FALCAO IN SHOCKING BRAZILIAN STREET BRAWL, FRIEND LEFT CRITICAL

Middleweight Maiquel Falcao was involved in a violent brawl in Santa Catarina, Brazil, in July that left a friend, 7-0 fighter Kaue Mena, in a serious condition in hospital. An ex UFC fighter, he was released by Bellator as a result.

The incident, occurred at a gas station after Falcao got into an altercation with a woman who he then appeared to push, according to CCTV footage of the incident. A group of men then confronted Falcao, who was with Mena, and a skirmish ensued. 

After the fight spilled onto the station forecourt, the footage shows Mena being struck to the ground with an object and his attackers barraging him with punches and kicks to the head. Mena was taken to hospital and underwent surgery. He was still in a serious condition at the time of going to press.

Irshaad Sayed, bantamweight champion for Chinese promotion RUFF, donated $10,000USD of his RUFF tournament prize money to help build a school in rural China.