Issue 093
October 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]
WARRIOR WOMEN
I was watching Wimbledon a while back and I was struck by an overwhelming sense of pride. Mixed martial arts is one of only a few sports where women compete under the same rules and practices as men. Female tennis players are only scheduled to battle over three sets, where as the men play over five. And there are similar double standards in various Olympic sports, such as cycling, kayaking and decathlon (only the men are allowed to challenge over 10 events, and only women in the seven-event heptathlon). There are numerous other instances in the sporting
world too.
In MMA these days, both men and women fight wearing the same sized gloves over the same rounds – three five-minute stanzas, or five five-minute rounds for championship fights. While plenty of established mainstream sports still regard females as incapable of competing under the same terms as men, our ‘barbaric’ sport of MMA has the dignity to afford women the same athletic opportunities as males. Isn’t this something we should be proud of?
Craig Simcock, via email
You raise a very interesting point, Craig. What does the FO universe think? Answers to [email protected].
IRE AND BRIMSTONE
I would like to very briefly share my views with your readers on a few topics. Referees and judges don’t need to be former fighters or practitioners, but they do need to be appointed by an official sanctioning body. They should be full-time, undergo official training courses and build up a portfolio of ‘occupational and operational’ competence before being singed off by governing officials as competent to officiate. They should undergo annual refresher training, and have yearly appraisals with statistical data identifying trends and areas for improvement.
So-called hit and run tactics have been receiving bad press lately. I think people lose sight of the fact this is a competition between two highly skilled athletes, often with very different styles and techniques. The aim is to adapt your strategy for each different opponent to ensure your strengths are utilized to expose your opponent’s weaknesses. The term hit and run is disrespectful to the skills utilized in a fighter using speed, footwork, striking accuracy and evasive maneuvers to overcome his opponent.
Finally, in my opinion, interim titles are no good for the sport and should be scrapped. If a fighter is unable to defend their belt they should be required to vacate it or be stripped and the top two contenders should be allowed to contest the title, with the former champ being the next challenger. I am constantly frustrated by the inconsistency in commentators and journalists alike referring to Randy Couture as two-time light heavyweight champion, when he also held the interim title, so why not three-time light heavyweight champion?
Frank Mir is always referred to as former two-time heavyweight champ, when one was the interim belt. ‘Big Nog’ is always referred to as the only Pride and UFC heavyweight champion, when he only held the UFC interim title. Shane Carwin is not referred to as the former UFC heavyweight champion, yet he also held the interim belt. There seems to be no consistency in labeling champions. Please do away with the interim belts. Who wants to go down in history as once being the temporary champion whilst the real champion recovered from injury?
Steve Reed, via email
FIGHTERS’ TWEETS
JOE LAUZON (@JOELAUZON)
#UFC Royal Rumble at the end of the #FighterSummit. Who else is in?
DAN HARDY (@DANHARDYMMA)
Respect to @TitoOrtiz for helping build the sport we all live and love so much. Enjoy your retirement. #TitoFanForLife
JOSH BARNETT (@JOSHLBARNETT)
UFC Fighter Summit 2012 - There’s a doctor on stage now. How do I know? He’s wearing scrubs. I wish he had his stethoscope on too.
NATE DIAZ (@NATEDIAZ209)
Out front of event tryin to get tickets to the UFC Anyone got anything?
JASON HIGH (@KCBANDITMMA)
This dude @Sirwan_Kakai put tuna in his oatmeal today. A new level of disgusting s**t. Is that how they do it in Sweden?
The posts that caught our eye this month in the online world of Fighters Only
@shiftysharp:: @joerogan just bought @FightersOnly only to find you mincing about in your wee shorts :p lookin solid brother! Good article!
@captaintau: @FightersOnly that Silva speech, just how much gloating was there? A lesson in how to cut deep whilst being super polite. It had to hurt
@chs9996: @FightersOnly u have to love Sonnen, Henderson, Diaz and the
rest of the bad boys its makes mma, ....its not american idol
@TheBhoyJM: Just bought a @FightersOnly rashguard, IMO there the best looking rashguard out there :)
@michaelcassidy8: @FightersOnly love the article on @joerogan the man loves his MMA and I Realy enjoyed reading it
@blu_vision: Always incredible photos in your issues. Love it. Thanks.
@FightersOnly
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