Hello folks. A quick note to say that I'll now be writing a weekly column for Nokaut.com. Hope you don't hate them!
I'll continue posting brief articles to this site, the ones with all the swears n cusses, for any interested parties.
Friday, July 10, 2009
Thursday, July 2, 2009
They'll do it Every Time
Boxing writers can't seem to get enough of talking in circles about mixed martial arts.
Couched in a lengthy article disparaging boxing prospect Victor Ortiz's decision to quit mid-fight, boxing writer Ron Borges ridiculed mixed martial artists for their being "allowed to quit without recrimination by using a more sanitized phrase...in MMA they say he tapped out." Borges asserted that this fact "is what separates real fighters from those guys in MMA...."
This is a strange thing to write for a couple of reasons.
First, of course, is the fact that the biggest argument against MMA (deeply flawed as it may be) has been that the sport is too dangerous. Critics feel that, compared to the large gloves and limited offensive arsenal available in boxing, the cut-inducing elbow strikes, small gloves, and myriad offensive positions in MMA are likely to end in some fatality or horrific injury. This historically and statistically unfounded opinion has been repeated often by boxing-only supporters (I won't say supports of boxing, since I myself am for boxing as well as for mixed martial arts). Critics of MMA scoff and shake a finger at what they perceive to be inhuman, unsportsmanlike brutality. It's not hard to see, then, why some might be confused when reading of Borges' indignation at Ortiz's unwillingness "to go out on his shield," which is itself, ironically, a "sanitized phrase" for dying.
Borges' unsatisfied bloodlust is all the more surprising when he goes on to admit that one of Ortiz's eyes had been "badly sliced" and the other was developing "a huge contusion." Later, after dismissing Ortiz as a simply a quitter, he attempts to sympathize with the up-and-coming fighter. "The sad fact is [he] had bee beaten on since he was a little boy...by his father...by his mother [...] You try that and see how many more beatings you want to take..." It would be one thing if Borges were railing against Ortiz in a state of sheer ignorance, but that he was able to even begin to envision the psychological and physical turmoil Ortiz must have been in before he quit, and at the same time lambaste him as he did, is disgusting.
Aside from being this week's biggest keyboard warrior, Borges also manages to demonstrate that he's not very good at thinking things through during his brief, but potently idiotic criticism of MMA.
It's obvious, of course, that he doesn't know much about the sport and its surrounding culture, or he would be aware of the fans harsh criticism of anyone who appears to tap or fold too early. Kalib Starnes was cut from the UFC for a reason, and Dana White and company were hesitant to offer the evasive Lyoto Machida any marquee fights until he began to show a greater willingness to engage (which reminds me, I wonder why Borges, in his desire for relentless bloodshed, didn't take a moment to wag a finger at the defensively-minded Floyd Mayweather, Jr.).
And of course, in so adamantly asserting the superiority of a boxer's fighting spirit, he failed to consider the most obvious counter argument. A mixed martial arts writer (were one to be as apparently dense as he) could argue that boxers aren't "real fighters" because they are allowed a chance to stand up and recompose themselves following a knockdown, or because they are permitted a limited arsenal that has been far abstracted from actual fighting.
Borges may be a excellent sports writer on the whole (his profile on thesweetscience.com certainly says so) but his inability to more comprehensively conceive of the issue in this instance is a little embarrassing, and only serves to illustrate that boxing-only critics of MMA are a confused bunch, who can't consistently articulate why they don't like MMA probably because they don't want to admit the real reason: boxing, archaic as it may be, is a fine sport, but is giving up popularity, money, and cultural significance to mixed martial arts.
Couched in a lengthy article disparaging boxing prospect Victor Ortiz's decision to quit mid-fight, boxing writer Ron Borges ridiculed mixed martial artists for their being "allowed to quit without recrimination by using a more sanitized phrase...in MMA they say he tapped out." Borges asserted that this fact "is what separates real fighters from those guys in MMA...."
This is a strange thing to write for a couple of reasons.
First, of course, is the fact that the biggest argument against MMA (deeply flawed as it may be) has been that the sport is too dangerous. Critics feel that, compared to the large gloves and limited offensive arsenal available in boxing, the cut-inducing elbow strikes, small gloves, and myriad offensive positions in MMA are likely to end in some fatality or horrific injury. This historically and statistically unfounded opinion has been repeated often by boxing-only supporters (I won't say supports of boxing, since I myself am for boxing as well as for mixed martial arts). Critics of MMA scoff and shake a finger at what they perceive to be inhuman, unsportsmanlike brutality. It's not hard to see, then, why some might be confused when reading of Borges' indignation at Ortiz's unwillingness "to go out on his shield," which is itself, ironically, a "sanitized phrase" for dying.
Borges' unsatisfied bloodlust is all the more surprising when he goes on to admit that one of Ortiz's eyes had been "badly sliced" and the other was developing "a huge contusion." Later, after dismissing Ortiz as a simply a quitter, he attempts to sympathize with the up-and-coming fighter. "The sad fact is [he] had bee beaten on since he was a little boy...by his father...by his mother [...] You try that and see how many more beatings you want to take..." It would be one thing if Borges were railing against Ortiz in a state of sheer ignorance, but that he was able to even begin to envision the psychological and physical turmoil Ortiz must have been in before he quit, and at the same time lambaste him as he did, is disgusting.
Aside from being this week's biggest keyboard warrior, Borges also manages to demonstrate that he's not very good at thinking things through during his brief, but potently idiotic criticism of MMA.
It's obvious, of course, that he doesn't know much about the sport and its surrounding culture, or he would be aware of the fans harsh criticism of anyone who appears to tap or fold too early. Kalib Starnes was cut from the UFC for a reason, and Dana White and company were hesitant to offer the evasive Lyoto Machida any marquee fights until he began to show a greater willingness to engage (which reminds me, I wonder why Borges, in his desire for relentless bloodshed, didn't take a moment to wag a finger at the defensively-minded Floyd Mayweather, Jr.).
And of course, in so adamantly asserting the superiority of a boxer's fighting spirit, he failed to consider the most obvious counter argument. A mixed martial arts writer (were one to be as apparently dense as he) could argue that boxers aren't "real fighters" because they are allowed a chance to stand up and recompose themselves following a knockdown, or because they are permitted a limited arsenal that has been far abstracted from actual fighting.
Borges may be a excellent sports writer on the whole (his profile on thesweetscience.com certainly says so) but his inability to more comprehensively conceive of the issue in this instance is a little embarrassing, and only serves to illustrate that boxing-only critics of MMA are a confused bunch, who can't consistently articulate why they don't like MMA probably because they don't want to admit the real reason: boxing, archaic as it may be, is a fine sport, but is giving up popularity, money, and cultural significance to mixed martial arts.
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
The Case Against Mixed Martial Arts
Critics of MMA, and proponents of boxing particularly, have often asserted that mixed martial artists are nothing more than a bunch of thugs flailing away at each other in the cage. People like Floyd Mayweather, Jr. believe that while it takes years of intense training and attentive coaching for a boxer to rise to prominence, any tough guy can walk in off the street and become a mixed martial arts champion.
With the increase in cross over athletes, including retired and one-time prospects from the world of pro-wrestling, football, and boxing, MMA is every day closer to definitively answering such skeptics. And while anyone can point to Anderson Silva's artful in-cage performances, or the personable, athletic Georges St. Pierre as examples of MMA's worth to the world of sports, anyone intending to be truly prepared for a debate must instead anticipate their opponents' arguments.
With that in mind, here are four recent fights that serve as a black eye on the face of mixed martial arts.
4. Andrei Arlovksi vs. Fedor Emelianenko
Following an extensive, boxing-centric training camp under Freddie Roach, Arlovski used pin-point punching and fleet footwork to stagger Emelianenko. Driving his opponent into a corner, Arlovski seemed poised to knock out Emelianenko until, following a sloppy jumping knee, he was countered and sent unconscious to the mat. Had Arlovski stuck to straight boxing, he very well may have knocked out the consensus number 1 heavyweight mixed martial artist in the world.
Rebuttal: Coulda shoulda woulda. The fact remains that Emelianenko beat Arlovski, despite the Belarusian contender's extensive training camp with Roach. But if one was truly dedicated to dealing in hypotheticals, then we might as well consider the likely scenario that Emelianenko, rather than sticking it out on the feet, would have easily taken Arlovski to the ground and submitted him (a likely eventuality given Arlovski's boxing-induced tunnel vision). Regarding events as they actually transpired, one might recall that Emelianenko has been in tight spots before (in fights with Kazuyuki Fujita, Kevin Randelman, Mark Hunt, and Mirko Filipovic) and his unconventional striking, grappling acumen, and formidable instincts have always seen him through. Boxing wasn't the first technique to threaten Emelianenko, nor was it enough to close the deal in the end.
3. Brock Lesnar vs. Heath Herring
Carrying a slight professional record of 1-1-0 into the cage with him, former pro-wrestler Brock Lesnar was nevertheless able to thrash former PRIDE heavyweight contender Heath Herring for 3 straight rounds.
Rebuttal: Lesnar is more than just an entertainment wrestler who stumbled into the UFC. Far from simply changing gears one day from turnbuckle acrobatics to in-cage fisticuffs, Lesnar underwent a full year of intensive training with both Royce Gracie and the respectable Minnesota Mixed Martial Arts camp. Combined with his almost peerless collegiate wrestling pedigree and well of raw physical power, and a victory for Lesnar over the wrestling-prone Heath Herring, whose ring age is starting to show through his otherwise tough hide, is not as unusual as it may have seemed at first.
2. Joe Warren vs. Norifumi Yamamoto
With a record of only 1-0-0, Warren was expected by most to fall easily to the DREAM tournament favorite Yamamoto, who carried an impressive record of 17-1-0 into the fight. Instead, Warren brutalized Yamamoto at range, in the clinch, and on the ground en route to a clear cut decision victory.
Rebuttal: Warren was an Olympic wrestling candidate before his hopes were dashed following a positive drug test. Bear in mind that such high level wrestling is a skill that gives any MMA neophyte an edge, even in such a high-profile fight, provided that it is fused with the nerve and chin to mix it up on the feet--something that a lengthy training camp with Dan Henderson's Team Quest would certainly provide. Combined with the fact that Yamamoto was coming off of a year-and-a-half lay off following extensive surgery, and, in hindsight, Warren's victory isn't as shocking, or ridiculous, as it may have appeared
1. Ray Mercer vs. Tim Sylvia
Faded boxing star Ray Mercer, in his pro-debut following a loss in an exhibition match to Kimbo Slice, knocked out former UFC champion and top 10 ranked heavyweight Tim Sylvia.
Rebuttal: If we're being honest, Tim Sylvia, despite being a ranked mixed martial artist, is essentially a kick boxer with an eye for exploiting his size and reach. It's no surprise, then, that he was bested at his own game by a more accomplished striker. It's safe to say that fighters like Sylvia, with a limited skill set and an antiquated "stand-and-trade" approach, are fast becoming outdated, and are hardly representative of mixed martial arts as they exist today.
With the increase in cross over athletes, including retired and one-time prospects from the world of pro-wrestling, football, and boxing, MMA is every day closer to definitively answering such skeptics. And while anyone can point to Anderson Silva's artful in-cage performances, or the personable, athletic Georges St. Pierre as examples of MMA's worth to the world of sports, anyone intending to be truly prepared for a debate must instead anticipate their opponents' arguments.
With that in mind, here are four recent fights that serve as a black eye on the face of mixed martial arts.
4. Andrei Arlovksi vs. Fedor Emelianenko
Following an extensive, boxing-centric training camp under Freddie Roach, Arlovski used pin-point punching and fleet footwork to stagger Emelianenko. Driving his opponent into a corner, Arlovski seemed poised to knock out Emelianenko until, following a sloppy jumping knee, he was countered and sent unconscious to the mat. Had Arlovski stuck to straight boxing, he very well may have knocked out the consensus number 1 heavyweight mixed martial artist in the world.
Rebuttal: Coulda shoulda woulda. The fact remains that Emelianenko beat Arlovski, despite the Belarusian contender's extensive training camp with Roach. But if one was truly dedicated to dealing in hypotheticals, then we might as well consider the likely scenario that Emelianenko, rather than sticking it out on the feet, would have easily taken Arlovski to the ground and submitted him (a likely eventuality given Arlovski's boxing-induced tunnel vision). Regarding events as they actually transpired, one might recall that Emelianenko has been in tight spots before (in fights with Kazuyuki Fujita, Kevin Randelman, Mark Hunt, and Mirko Filipovic) and his unconventional striking, grappling acumen, and formidable instincts have always seen him through. Boxing wasn't the first technique to threaten Emelianenko, nor was it enough to close the deal in the end.
3. Brock Lesnar vs. Heath Herring
Carrying a slight professional record of 1-1-0 into the cage with him, former pro-wrestler Brock Lesnar was nevertheless able to thrash former PRIDE heavyweight contender Heath Herring for 3 straight rounds.
Rebuttal: Lesnar is more than just an entertainment wrestler who stumbled into the UFC. Far from simply changing gears one day from turnbuckle acrobatics to in-cage fisticuffs, Lesnar underwent a full year of intensive training with both Royce Gracie and the respectable Minnesota Mixed Martial Arts camp. Combined with his almost peerless collegiate wrestling pedigree and well of raw physical power, and a victory for Lesnar over the wrestling-prone Heath Herring, whose ring age is starting to show through his otherwise tough hide, is not as unusual as it may have seemed at first.
2. Joe Warren vs. Norifumi Yamamoto
With a record of only 1-0-0, Warren was expected by most to fall easily to the DREAM tournament favorite Yamamoto, who carried an impressive record of 17-1-0 into the fight. Instead, Warren brutalized Yamamoto at range, in the clinch, and on the ground en route to a clear cut decision victory.
Rebuttal: Warren was an Olympic wrestling candidate before his hopes were dashed following a positive drug test. Bear in mind that such high level wrestling is a skill that gives any MMA neophyte an edge, even in such a high-profile fight, provided that it is fused with the nerve and chin to mix it up on the feet--something that a lengthy training camp with Dan Henderson's Team Quest would certainly provide. Combined with the fact that Yamamoto was coming off of a year-and-a-half lay off following extensive surgery, and, in hindsight, Warren's victory isn't as shocking, or ridiculous, as it may have appeared
1. Ray Mercer vs. Tim Sylvia
Faded boxing star Ray Mercer, in his pro-debut following a loss in an exhibition match to Kimbo Slice, knocked out former UFC champion and top 10 ranked heavyweight Tim Sylvia.
Rebuttal: If we're being honest, Tim Sylvia, despite being a ranked mixed martial artist, is essentially a kick boxer with an eye for exploiting his size and reach. It's no surprise, then, that he was bested at his own game by a more accomplished striker. It's safe to say that fighters like Sylvia, with a limited skill set and an antiquated "stand-and-trade" approach, are fast becoming outdated, and are hardly representative of mixed martial arts as they exist today.
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