Issue 006

August 2005

Stephen Quadros ‘The Fight Professor’ answers your letters

Hello Mr. Fight Professor,

I have been an MMA fight fan for a while now and really like UFC, PRIDE, Too Hot To Handle, King of The Cage and most big shows. I really enjoyed your commentary when you were with PRIDE and Too Hot To Handle. I am aware that you work as a presenter and commentator for many different fight companies. Now you work for Cage Rage. What made you decide to work with them? How did that come about? And what is the deciding factor when you choose to work for a fight group?

Thank you for your time.

Charles Neely, Newcastle, England

Hi Charles,

First off, thank you for the support. I do appreciate it. I always try my best.

Before I answer this I must say that there are many fine fight organisations in the UK. The scene is growing everyday. I decided to join Cage Rage, because I felt it was an organisation of quality and integrity. I had been in conversations with Andy Geer and David O’Donnell for some time and we decided it might be fun to work together. I had been watching Cage Rage progress for a while and hold bigger international matches that featured top level fighters like Renato Babalu, Anderson Silva and Matt Lindland, as well as showcasing England’s biggest stars (Ian Freeman and Lee Murray) and cultivating the UK’s rising talent — Sol Gilbert, Alex Reid, Mark Weir, Jean Silva and Leigh Remedios among many others. 

Andy and Dave have a knack for making great matches and understand the local and international markets. And their shows just get better and better. They strive to outdo the last show. And that is also my attitude when I work. I always want to improve the quality of the show I work on. Cage Rage treats me very well. Plus I have some English blood in my veins, so it’s like returning to one of my homes. On a side note: I play drums in several bands back in the States. My beginnings as a drum set player were in rock and roll, with a major influence from some of England’s giants like John Bonham (Led Zeppelin) and Ginger Bake (Cream). The other huge influence on me as a drummer was Keith Moon of The Who. When I came over here in February of this year to start work with Cage Rage, I had just finished the biography about Mr. Moon, and wouldn’t you know it, the Cage Rage (10) show was to be held at the Wembley Conference Centre, where he was born! 

Anyway, thanks for the letter Charles!

Greetings Mr. Quadros,

It seems like mixed martial arts is growing not just in popularity but also when it comes to the techniques and abilities of the fighters. At first it was Royce Gracie and jiu-jitsu, then the wrestlers (Mark Coleman, Randy Couture, Mark Kerr and even Dan Severn), then came kickboxers like Igor Vovchanchyn, Bas Rutten and Wanderlei Silva. Do you see a new style coming up? Or will things now start to get boring because all the fighters know each other’s styles?

Best wishes,

Albert Kuntai, London, UK

Hi Albert,

Thank you for writing. Because I know all of the gentlemen you mention and have worked with many of them I have seen first hand the contributions they have all made to MMA as a whole. There has been quite a bit of evolution in the sport since the first UFC and Pancrase events in 1993. As far as your enquiry about a ‘new style’ coming into being within the game, I think that it is up to individuals to define their personal styles as opposed to branding a certain collection of techniques and calling that their style. Let’s face it the style versus style debate within the sport is passé, almost nostalgic. It now comes down to the fact that you have to be aware, educated and ready for any and every style when you compete in MMA. 

As far as a new and/or secret ‘style’ popping up and assaulting competitors with things that they haven’t seen before, I am sceptical. The game of mixed martial arts has advanced so much that I believe that the methods of victory will be defined by the actions of the competitors in the future, not the myths of the past. The changes that Royce Gracie, Randy Couture and Maurice Smith and others brought to the game were wake up calls to everyone and represent the basis for what we now term ‘mixed martial arts’. True, there will be new techniques that pop up or morph together from other moves or series of moves. But as far as a whole new style that does not currently exist coming in and dominating, I doubt that will happen the way it did in the 1990s with Gracie’s jiu-jitsu, Couture’s wrestling or Smith’s kickboxing. 

Take care, 

Hi Stephen,

I have been training in kung fu for a little over four years. I really like watching MMA but many of the students at my school criticise it. And I noticed that many of the fighters in MMA don’t have clean striking techniques. Why is this and why aren’t there more kung fu fighters in MMA? I have thought about competing in the sport but don’t know for sure. How do you know when you are a fighter and when you are not?

Thanks.

Alfredo Vaccaro, Westminster, England

Hello Alfredo,

I’ve trained a bit in Wing Tsun kung fu myself. Your mates who criticise MMA may feel threatened by it. Although I feel this is unfortunate, it is not unusual. MMA was a shock to the system of many when it first came out and I suppose it still is to some people. It shouldn’t be however. It’s a separate entity from kung fu or any other traditional martial art. Plus there are huge differences between traditional martial arts like kung fu and mixed martial arts. First of all MMA is supposed to incorporate all useful techniques from any and every style and discard what hasn’t been proven to work. This was also the philosophy of the late great Bruce Lee. And he started in kung fu.

As far as many of the MMA fighters not having clean striking techniques, I am not sure which people you are referring to. Anderson Silva, who is the current Cage Rage middleweight champion, has a very good striking technique. But he is a Muay Thai/Vale Tudo stylist, so it may look different to you.

As to the reason there are not more kung fu fighters in MMA, I don’t know. But understand that the successful competitors in MMA are well versed in many different styles, thus the name ‘mixed martial arts’. If a man comes in as only a jiu-jitsu player he may have problems. The same thing might be true if he is only a kickboxer or only a wrestler. To be successful you need more than one traditional style.

And lastly, what compels someone to become an MMA fighter? It’s a question that can only be answered by your gut instinct. Usually, if you have to ask yourself whether or not you are a fighter then you probably aren’t. It’s something that you can’t live without, something you need to do. If you don’t have that kind of passion, I would advise you to remain a spectator. But not getting into a ring or a cage is no case for shame. Training in the martial arts is a very healthy thing to do and should bring you happiness and confidence. Not everyone is cut out to be a ‘fighter’.

Thanks for all your enquiries.

Sincerely,

Stephen Quadros

‘The Fight Professor’