Got stand-up? British fighters do

With a long and storied history in the noble art of boxing, the British Isles gave birth to modern pugilism hundreds of years ago. Since then, they’ve developed a love for all things combative and, to put it plainly, are known to like a bit of a scrap. This was in evidence at UFC 89 in Birmingham, where UK fighters Terry Etim, Dan Hardy, Paul Taylor and Michael Bisping all showed off their excellent striking skills.

RIP ProElite

The parent company of EliteXC limped along for as long as possible, but ultimately their major financial issues caught up with them and they ceased trading as of Friday 24th October. Struggling due to a prolonged period of massive over-expenditure combined with chronic mismanagement and a reliance on ‘star’ Kimbo Slice, the closure of the company has left dozens of fighters out of work, and the future of subsidiary promotions such as Cage Rage and IconSport in jeopardy.

Fighters and flip-flops

If you see a guy with big knuckles, cauliflower ears and a broken nose, it’s a safe bet they’re a fighter, but how do you tell the difference between an MMA fighter, rugby player, and common-garden street thug? Take a look at his feet – the fighter is likely to be wearing flip-flops, regardless of the weather. No wonder Chuck Liddell is big on his pedicures.

Winning isn’t everything

At least it isn’t for UK welterweight Paul Taylor, who picked up the Fight of the Night award for the third time in his UFC career, after a war with Chris Lytle on UFC 89. Most remarkable is that Taylor was the losing party (on the scorecards at least) for each of those three fights – who said winning was everything?

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