Issue 008
October 2005
I am sure that you will all have heard by now of my decision to retire from professional Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) competition. I use this terminology rather than saying that I have retired from the fight game or from MMA in general because that would be wrong. I am, will and always have been an ambassador for the sport, and I have every intention of continuing to promote MMA to the highest level in as many ways as possible. Read my exclusive interview in this month’s Fighters Only to find out the real reasons behind my retirement, what I plan to do in the future and how not being in competition will affect me. To everyone who has taken the time to comment, thank you for all the letters, e-mails and posts of support. They all mean a great deal and I appreciate them a lot.
Unfortunately, this month we will be without a UFC preview, or even a UFC interview, or even a UFC fighter profile as will other websites and publications. Read why on the news pages.
Hywell Teague brings us fight reports on Cage Rage 13 as well as the next edition in the evolution of MMA. This month it’s the turn of wrestling and the major impact it has had on modern day fighting styles and technique. Dennis Martins brings us a report from the latest Pride, prior to the up and coming Pride Bushido event to be held in Holland — a preview of this colossal event can be found on page 18. This month’s fighter in profile is BJ Penn and we also have a female fighter in profile this month in the form of Rosie Sexton, who is making a comeback to MMA after giving birth. The latest Cagewarriors event is covered on page 62, where Hywell Teague takes up the mantle of Fighters Only resident fighter in his first MMA competition under semi-professional rules.
Next month we will have a new character joining Fighters Only, it’s my horse, ‘Moose’, with his new column ‘Straight from the horses mouth’. The management here at Fighters Only signed Moose up to give a regular monthly column and, believe me, he doesn’t pull any punches. He claims to have done what many of the greatest fighters have been unable to do, retiring ‘The Machine’. The ‘Cocky’ Stallion is all ‘balls’, claiming to be the world’s hardest horse and willing to take on all comers (who think they’re ‘ard enough!). He really does have a massive ‘head’. Some say that he takes after me a lot.
Finally we have all the regular news, views and reviews to complete this month’s ’ten minute’ installment of Fighters Only.
Remember, Train Hard and Fight Easy.
Oh, and stay away from ‘Moose’.
Ian ‘The Machine’ Freeman
We felt it only fitting to place a picture of me and Moose training in the editor’s letter this month. Not many people knew of my passion for equestrian sport and were slightly stunned when they found out how my chest injury reoccurred. To those who have asked, I am still
in great pain and have trouble sleeping, never mind jumping of
any kind. In fact, this may be a picture of the last jump I’ve had in
a long time.
