Issue 058
The great thing about MMA is that it is so subjective. Everyone’s got an opinion and we love a bit of debate, so we spoke with four people from across the MMA world to find out their thoughts on the current state of play. We asked four different figures from the MMA world their opinions on the pressing matters of the hour.
The fighter
Kevin Ross, MMA fighter, boxing and Muay Thai world champion
The fan
Steve Pellagrino, marketing and public relations
The writer
Ben Blackmore, FO staff writer
The insider
Gil Martinez, Las Vegas-based boxing trainer
Q1 Catchweight bouts: yes or no?
A: Ross
I would love to see some catchweight fights. I think they would be especially useful for guys that may not have a lot of competition in their weight classes.
A: Pellagrino
No, they are meaningless.
A: Blackmore
No. They’ve given us the odd classic over the years, like Franklin vs Wanderlei, but they tend to leave more questions than answers and lack credence. Look at Franklin vs Henderson.
A: Martinez
I think as long as it’s not for a title, it’s okay.
Q2 Has GSP cleared the welterweight division of strong challengers?
A: Ross
He’s done a really good job of taking care of the all the top challengers that have come his way. He’s a perfect example of someone that catchweight fights would be great for.
A: Pellagrino
No, good fighters are coming up all the time, and challengers are learning GSP’s game.
A: Blackmore
Yes and no. He needs to fight middleweights to keep extending his legend, but ‘no’ because fighters are always improving. Hughes appeared to have cleared the division in 2006, but then GSP recovered from an earlier loss to put things right.
A: Martinez
I think there might be a few guys left to give him some trouble but he’s definitely top of the food chain.
Q3 Is MMA outside the UFC worth watching, or does it not compare?
A: Ross
It’s definitely worth watching. I think the quality of the show and level of fighters might not be as consistent as the UFC, but there are a lot of great fights and fighters out there that the mainstream audience never sees.
A: Pellagrino
The UFC is the best but every sport needs a minor league system, and they often have great competitive fights.
A: Blackmore
The Champions League is the pinnacle of soccer, but La Liga and The Premier League are still well-worth watching. Likewise in MMA, the UFC is the standard-bearer but there are awesome fights elsewhere.
A: Martinez
There are good fighters all over, most of the best fighters are in the UFC, but there are good-quality fighters elsewhere.
Q4 Paul Filho says the UFC don’t give Brazilian fighters a fair deal. Agree or disagree?
A: Ross
I’ve seen this happen in other organizations around the world but I really don’t see it happening here. All you have to do is look at all of the top Brazilians, Anderson Silva, Nogueira, Vitor Belfort just to name a few.
A: Pellagrino
Totally disagree! Brazilian fighters are a cornerstone of the UFC and MMA.
A: Blackmore
Disagree. The Brazilians are currently the best, and the UFC always put the best fighters against each other. Who doesn’t want to see Silva vs Belfort?
A: Martinez
You can’t please everybody, but I’m sure there are some guys who are worth more than they are getting.
Q5 Who do you think has the best job in MMA?
A: Ross
Being a fighter I would have to say that the fighters do, but other than that I would say that the ref does. Sure you’re gonna get booed and people might give you a hard time but you got the best seat in the house.
A: Pellagrino
Dana White of course. He’s the man.
A: Blackmore
The cameraman. Who else gets to stare at the ring girls for that long? If not him, probably Anderson Silva’s coach. What is there to teach the guy?
A: Martinez
Dana White! He’s the boss; it’s always good to be the boss, right?
