Issue 102
June 2013
The 5-0 middleweight Team Sonnen standout on being a world-beating gamer and striking like Sagat from Street Fighter
OK where did it all begin with you and video gaming?
“Playing Space Invaders on my Dad’s first-ever computer – no idea what it was. I can remember that I used to rule that game. It just went on from there.”
A true classic and a great starting point. What did you get into next?
“I’ve owned every console ever produced, I think. The best console ever was my Nintendo 64 though. Everything about it was simply epic; GoldenEye was just a huge step up in class.
“That being said, the PC has always been the powerhouse when it comes to gaming, so that’s got to be my favourite. I was an avid Tactical Ops player back in the day. When I was 14 I spent my whole life on the PC playing it. My friend, James Gill, and I were the best 2v2 team in the world at one point. I was pretty addicted.”
So it sounds like first person shooters are your game of choice then?
“Yeah, definitely. There’s nothing quite like trying to kill your friends – as crazy as that sounds. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I still think Mario is the man. Is there any better character than an Italian plumber who throws turtle shells and eats mushrooms?”
When you put it like that... Do your friends and family share your love of gaming?
“My older brother is a true Final Fantasy addict, and my friends and teammates, John and Tommy Maguire, are Call of Duty players. I wouldn’t say any of them are that good though (laughs).”
So you’ve clearly got an appreciation for Mario but which video game character do you think you’re most like?
“Didn’t you see my fight against Gilbert Smith on TUF 17? That flying knee was 100% Sagat from Street Fighter, but the guys in the gym think I’m more like Dhalsim. If I had to pick one I’d say I’ve always considered myself a badass like Metal Gear Solid’s hero, Solid Snake.”
Back to the Future
Video Game History of MMA: CHECK OUT MY GRAVEL PIT
It was consigned to MMA history almost as quickly as it started, but in 2008 hip-hop-styled MMA reality show Iron Ring was a point of debate amongst mixed martial arts followers.
Featuring six teams of fighters ‘owned’ by rappers such as Ludacris and Lil Jon, as well as boxing champion Floyd Mayweather, some fans hated the show’s embrace of MMA’s rougher, baser qualities – that and the canned crowd noise and sound effects used to emphasise the action.
Hip-hop mixed with martial arts? Controversy and an emphasis on violence? Sounds an awful lot like 1999 PlayStation game Wu Tang: Shaolin Style (aka Taste The Pain in Europe). Yes, the Iron Ring chapter of MMA lore was foretold (sort of) nearly a decade earlier via the medium of video games.
In it, the members of New York hip-hop troupe the Wu-Tang Clan fought in four-way scraps with evildoers in order to save their martial arts master. The game was attacked by watchdog groups for its large helpings of gore – such as RZA kicking a katana sword through the skulls of his groggy foes. (You can see where some people might have had a problem.)
Shaolin Style’s heritage? The Def Jam series of beat ‘em ups continued the hip-hop and combat crossover into the next console generation and beyond.
Iron Ring’s legacy? It launched the careers of future TUF standouts Jamie Yager and Marcus Brimmage as well as Bellator’s Brian Rogers and Strikeforce heavyweight Abongo Humphrey.
Separated at birth
Chris Horodecki / Astro Boy
Former IFL lightweight champion and WEC veteran Chris Horodecki probably doesn’t have guns in his rear (probably), and it’s likely the various athletic commissions he’s fought under would have spotted jets in his arms and legs, but that aside Horodecki sure does look like Japanese manga, anime and video game character Astro Boy. Those innocent, child-like facial features and a knack for coming out on top in physical altercations, Horodecki is just short some mechanical innards.
Lauzon's best bits
Geek and UFC 155lb contender Joe Lauzon shares morsels from his life in video games
Lauzon on arcades vs NES
“I don’t think anyone expected the NES to do what it did. It took the arcade experience and gave it to gamers in their homes. Some of my favourite gaming memories came from that system and all the great titles that I still play now started there all those years ago.
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