Issue 045
January 2009
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? Send us your pics of you with fighters - and if you can slip a copy of FO into the pic, even better! Write or email in and the most interesting letter gets an FO T-shirt.
LETTER OF THE MONTH
Boo hoo
I have been an MMA fan for a while now, with the first live show I saw being Millennium Brawl 8 in West Wickham, back in 2002. Since then I lived in Japan for four years and watched Silva vs Sakuraba and Cro Cop vs Emelianenko live to name a few.
One thing I have noticed which has really upset me since I returned to the UK last year is the disrespect that the audience show in this country and in America. In Japan the only fight that I saw booed was Ricardo Morais vs Tae Hyun Lee (which was not exciting, probably Pride’s fault as Lee wasn’t ready).
The Japanese audience really understand what they are watching. My main point is that MMA is not just about KO’s and blood, it is about technique, honour, fighting spirit and pride. I think things are changing but there is still a way to go, but hopefully your magazine will continue to educate the audience.
Matthew Saunders, South Croydon, Surrey
Thanks for your letter Matthew – your t-shirt is on it’s way. We agree that sometimes crowds can be a little negative towards the fighters, not knowing that if they were cheering instead of booing they would be inspiring them to fight harder. Don’t worry, we’ll keep fighting the good fight.
Cheap title shot
My opinion is that Lesnar did not earn the title shot [against Couture]. After being beaten by Frank Mir he should have had to prove himself worthy of a title shot. That he won the fight with Randy isn’t what annoys me. It’s the fact that he was blatantly given that title shot because the UFC recognised an opportunity to make money. Now I understand that the UFC has to make money, as a company that is its number one priority. But by making this move MMA has taken another step towards becoming bogged down in WWE-style storylines and cheap (made, not bought) merchandise.
Other than the damage done to MMA’s credibility, we all seem to have forgotten the interim champ Antonio Nogueira, who now needs to fight the man who just recently convincingly beat the current champ in order to face Couture himself. I find it laughable that someone coming off a loss and with such little real experience in MMA got a title shot. However, Lesnar has conducted himself admirably in interviews and press conferences, and I can’t blame him for taking advantage of the opportunities presented to him by the UFC management.
Robert MacQueen Thomson, via email.
Respect
What an excellent article on Muay Thai (issue 43). I am new to Fighters Only, discovering it one month ago while on business in the UK, and I subscribed immediately. I hear a lot of talk around MMA about BJJ, grappling, ground and pound etc, but stand up fighting always seems to be forgotten, so I was really pleased to see your take on it. The ground game is more important apparently – tell that to 90% of the Iceman’s opponents, I think they may disagree!
I have practised several Martial arts over the years, and after a long lay off I found a Muay Thai club 15 minutes from where I live on the German / Dutch border (we stayed after I left the Military six years ago). Free fighting (as they call MMA here) is still very tiny, and finding a club almost impossible unless you live near Amsterdam, so Muay Thai, as the Dutch practice it, seemed like a good challenge. Boy, was I right, it’s nothing like the kickboxing and the Thai boxing I did 10 years ago in the UK – the Dutch are full on. I am not sure I will ever forget the pain, and the noise, made when a full kick hit the inside of my thigh on my first outing into the ring. Mixed Martial Arts needs to be exactly that, no element better than the other, making the athletes more rounded, the competition stronger and the fans happier.
Simon Woodward, via email.
Kimura?
Just a thought for an article: where do all the techniques get their names? Kimura? Americana? Who first called it G&P? I’m sure there are a tonne more (enough for an article). Educate us!
Darren Miller, via email.
Kimura was the name of the Japanese judo player who broke Helio Gracie’s arm back in the 1950s. The jiu-jitsu fraternity named the armlock ‘kimura’ in honour of the great man. As for the names of the rest of the moves, we had better start our research!
GALLERY
Big shout out to Fighters Only. My story begins with me buying my usual MMA fix this month (the only MMA mag) and getting so motivated by the Rickson Gracie article I landed up buying replica UFC gloves and a new jiu-jitsu gi after reading the article.
Why this is significant? My jiu-jitsu coach managed to get Royce Gracie to do a session at our club and he signed my old gi. So not only did I have a new gi but I also have an autographed one!
Rock on.
Richard Walsham, Hendon, London.
