Fighters Only

Issue 104

August 2013

Thankfully, in mixed martial arts, our techniques aren’t always literal. Rear naked chokes don’t involve naturism, a flying knee isn’t a bid for winged freedom, and soccer kicks aren’t performed with studded footwear.

In the game of soccer itself, however, a soccer kick must involve a studded boot, even when it’s smashing an opposing player in the face instead of hammering the ball. Which, is exactly what happened in May when Turkish team Fenerbahce met Portugal’s Benfica in their Europa League semi-final.

Fenerbahce defender Gokhan Gonul successfully headed a Benfica second-half cross clear of danger, but didn’t see Nicolas Gaitan’s foot attempting to volley that same ball into the net. Can you imagine what happened next? Foot, face, Gonul immediately knocked out. His momentum combined with loss of motor functions made him belly flop the field and lifelessly roll onto his back with broken teeth and a bloody face.

He was unconscious for several minutes and was fixed up by doctors at hospital immediately afterwards. And to make his evening worse, Fenerbahce missed out on a place in the final.

There’s just something about a soccer kick knockout on an actual soccer field that makes the Pride rules staple even more gut-flippingly brutal.

Gambia, Africa: Is crazy Gambian wrestling harboring the next UFC champion?

Where on Earth is the next UFC champion? Probably somewhere in Gambia judging by the nation’s frankly awesome tradition of WWE-meets-MMA wrestling.

One of the oldest sports in Gambia, ‘borreh’ is similar to many of the world’s other indigenous grappling arts, except it’s filled with fighters who’d cackle in the face of ‘Octagon jitters’, probably absolutely smash MMA showmanship and likely totally get Twitter.

Aside from each combatant (whose goal is to throw their opponent to the ground by doing anything other than striking or sand throwing) looking like they’re made of 70% muscle, their practices of dancing around the arena using grimaces and other body language to challenge folk to a match while waiting for theirs to begin suggests they’re, you know, a little bit up for a fight.

Plus they’ll enter the fight area with drummers and singing fans, wear spirit-warding amulets, smear themselves in juju potions and are subject to the opinions of the crowd, which helps administer the rules during a bout.

Better yet, they all have fantastic Buffer-call-worthy names like Action, Undertaker and Mama Lion. Somebody send an MMA agent to Gambia, stat.

UFC prospect conscripted to Korean military

A South Korean fighter who was courted by the UFC for its November event in Macau, China, last year has been conscripted to the Korean military. The 26-year-old, Myung Ho Bae, a 13-5 welterweight champion for Hong Kong promotion Legend FC, will start his compulsory military service this summer.

Bae said in a statement: “Every Korean male has to serve in the military for a compulsory period of two years. I am not starting my service until later this year, but I have been restricted from traveling overseas, which means that I can’t defend my title outside Korea.”

Bae said he will return to fighting after he has completed his military stint, which comes at a time of heightened tensions between South and North Korea.

6

Amount of capital letters in the literal Western presentation of Chinese MMA fighter Amu RiJiRiGaLa’s name.

James Toney loses boxing bout to MMA fighter in Australia

Former multi-weight boxing champion and one-time UFC fighter James Toney suffered a decision loss in his natural discipline to MMA fighter and boxer Lucas Browne in late April. Toney was the first high-profile boxer to fight in the UFC, submitting to a Randy Couture arm triangle in 2010 at UFC 118.

Toney was outboxed in the unanimous decision loss in Melbourne to Browne, a 6-2 (MMA) heavyweight who suffered his first loss to Daniel Cormier.