Issue 085

February 2012

This is your page to tell us what you think of all things Fighters Only and MMA. Get your feelings off your chest where it really matters – in print! Send us your best pictures with your favorite fighters, or copies of FO, and we’ll print them too. [email protected]

DEBATE TEAM

I was reading the Big Debate page in your last issue, where you asked the question, ‘Should trash talking in the cage fast-track and title shot?’ I cannot possibly understand why anyone would say that it shouldn’t. Are we even watching the same sport? Who likes watching a fight because those two guys ‘should’ fight each other? Sure you might get a great fight out of it, but in all likelihood everything else surrounding the fight is going to be banal. 

Two guys who have ‘massive’ respect for one another – pass me the puke bucket. You know what gets me pumped for a fight? The idea those guys really want to fight each other. Not just to beat the other guy, but to beat down the other guy. Sprinkle a little bit of that into the mainstream and see what you get. If you insist, it doesn’t have to be disrespectful, it just has to be interesting. You think it’s not honorable to jump the line, and that’s not what mixed martial arts is about? Well tough luck. It wasn’t supposed to be about creatine powder, Twitter and after-parties, but it is. I don’t see you whining to Rickson Gracie about that!

  Jeff Fasano, via email

OH CANADA!

I am 15 years old, and a MMA fan. I know you hear this a lot but it’s true: your magazine is awesome! The first UFC event I went to was with my dad, UFC 129: St Pierre vs Shields. It certainly won’t be my last. It was so awesome that it took my mind off the tiny seats we were sitting in. It was so loud when Rory MacDonald slammed Nate Diaz down – the Rogers Centre shook with stomps.

I want to train in MMA but don’t know of any places to go to in the Brampton/Toronto area. Everyone is calling themselves experts when they’re clearly not. So if I could get some advice that would be great. 

Here are some pictures of me at UFC 129 holding my copy of Fighters Only. Thanks for an awesome mag!

Isiah Ford, the next Jon Jones ;-)

Thanks for writing in Isiah, and for the fantastic photos. To return the favor, we asked Ontario-based FO contributor Mike Russell for his gym recommendations around your area. “In Brampton the best all-around gym is Ultimate Martial Arts,” says Mike. “The owner is Paul Minhas, who has worked with a ton of fighters including UFC and Pride veterans (www.ultimatemartialarts.ca). As far as a solid combination of boxing and BJJ goes, try Grant Brothers MMA. UFC vets Sean Pierson, Mark Bocek and Claude Patrick have all trained there (grantbrothersmma.com). If you’re more interested in BJJ and wrestling-based training, Open Mat is where you should go. The gym is owned and run by former national team wrestlers and BJJ black belts (openmat.ca).” 

FIGHTERS' TWEETS

JON ANIK (@JON_ANIK)

UFC fans will be blown away with quantity and variety of programming on FX/Fuel TV in 2012. Hope you don’t have plans. Like... at all.

FELICE HERRIG (@FELICEHERRIG)

Old man at the airport tried to jack my computer. “I thought it was my wife’s.” Sure, I’m sure she has an @Alienware. I bet she plays Halo on it too.

MIGUEL TORRES (@MIGUELTORRESMMA)

Named an armbar I like the Robot Unicorn Attack. You know you’re a nerd when you think of things like this. “Open your eyes and see that your eyes are open.”

KYLE KINGSBURY (@KINGSBU)

I’m going to download all the Twilight movies and spend the weekend getting caught up. I love Robert Pattinson and Taylor Lautner.

AMIR SADOLLAH (@AMIRMMA)

Food coma. Somebody help.

The posts that caught our eye this month in the online world of Fighters Only

fbahandari: @FightersOnly Got the newest issue last night on my way home. On the train homeless guy next to me saw me reading it and said I was a “tough bitch”

Chris Howard: Wand’s win over Le certainly shows he’s still up there. Possibly a fight against Sonnen?

MatthewTrueman: In bed listening to @ArcticMonkeys and reading @FightersOnly, does life get any better ?!

HowardKeithBram: Rampage should be happy now [he’s fighting on UFC Japan]. See, when you complain you get what you want.

Reece Bates: [Ben Henderson vs Clay Guida] was one of the best 15 minutes the UFC has given us this year. Definitely a FOTY contender :D