Issue 063
June 2010
This is YOUR page to tell us what you think of all things Fighters Only and MMA! What do you like? What don’t you like? Who do you want to see fight who?
‘The trouble with judging'
I’ve seen countless bad judgment calls in fights throughout the years I’ve been watching MMA, and I couldn’t agree more that, although the judging and scoring system is good, there are flaws that need to be looked at. The system has worked for many years for boxing, and that’s great, but boxing is a different sport than MMA, so the scoring and judging needs to take those differences into account.
Another issue I’ve noticed is with the judges themselves. Many are educated in the different aspects of MMA, but there are still some who are unaware of some of the controlling positions, especially when it comes to the ground. It sometimes seems as though standing control is valued greater than control on the ground, perhaps for this reason that they don’t fully comprehend the position.
Though you’ll never have a foolproof method for scoring and judging, if there are flaws that can be fixed, everyone involved should be working together to patch up these holes and elevate the sport of MMA to a greater level. Hopefully this will mean results like Shogun-Machida and Penn-Edgar are consigned to history!
Matthew, Mississauga, Ontario
You’re the best... around!
I’ve been a reader since the magazine was only available Stateside as an import at the bookstore, and I just wanted to drop you a note of thanks for another great issue. On the whole, the magazine’s insightful interviews, great photography, and timely pace give an all-encompassing glimpse of the best and brightest in the MMA world. More importantly, I know who to keep an eye on as you always profile the hottest fighters. Keep up the great work.
Karl, Waterbury, CT
Getting under the skin
Hey Fighters Only, I’ve been collecting your magazine since issue 1 and I love it! It’s always full of awesome interviews and I really like the way you get right under a fighter’s skin in your big profiles. I always watch fighter interviews on the Internet, but you always get the same answer: “It was a good fight... I really respect this guy... I’ll fight anyone they put in front of me...” blah blah blah!
Yeah it’s nice to hear these guys talk about the fights, but it’s always the same answers! What makes Fighters Only special for me is that you get to learn about the fighters as people. Two examples: I didn’t know that GSP played chess, and I had no idea Shogun used to be a model! Stuff like that is awesome and it’s why I buy the magazine. Keep it coming!
Jack, Cincinnati, OH
Why no Fedor?
So there’s one thing that has been bugging me about Fighters Only... How come you’ve never done a feature on Fedor Emelianenko? He’s like the best heavyweight in the world and I would really like to see what kind of job you guys would do on him! Come on Fighters Only, I’m waiting for the day you have him on the cover!
Grant, Boston, MA.
Cover shots
Yo FO, I love your covers man, Eric William’s photos of the fighters are sick! Would you ever start selling the covers as posters? I don’t want to cut up my prized magazines, but I love the look of the pictures and they would look awesome on the gym wall!
Jarred, Hollywood, CA.
Jarred, thanks for the comments and we’re glad you like the covers so much! We’ve not got any plans just yet to release the covers as posters, but you never know...
GALLERY
First off, huge fan of Fighters Only, best mag out there by far. My favorite part of the magazine is the photography, along with great articles that is a lethal combination. Keep up the good work, here’s a pic of me and Randy Couture a week before his fight with Brandon Vera.
Bruce Smith, East Nassau, NY
Does anyone recognise this fan, spotted on the UFC 111 pay-per-view broadcast? If so, write to us and let us know, we’ve got something special for him!
Alan Belcher came to our Health Club in Fort Smith, AR and did a seminar. He is a super guy. Took this pic with him.
Sherry Ezell
