Judo

It has always been my opinion that Judo has reigned supreme in all of the different aspects of styles of martial arts incorporated into the sport now known now as of MMA.

From Jim Bergman to Kieko Fukuda, from Gene Le Bell to George Harris to the godfather of JUDO, Jigoro Kano, to the lesser known judo specialists who loved the sport so dearly like the superb actor , the great late  James "Jimmey" Cagney, a certified black belt in the sport of JUDO and the former president of the United States,  Mr "Teddy" Theodore Roosevelt.

These are the guy's , the men, who helped shape this great and wonderful, mostly and usually under appreciated martial art to become one of the most reliable , "if taught right" best and most effective form  of self defense in the world.

" The gentile way" is anything but in the heat of passion as it has always been the art of defense, yet a Judo slam done with precision is meant with all intentions to incapacitate it's victims. Rarely on a hard surface would   you see a victim of a judo throw bounce back up with the brim and vigor of a fifteen year old ready to keep on trucking.

From Gerald Russ Conkle to Patrick Burris, to Kyuzo Mifune to Phil Porter the names are endless yet art is the same , a arguable lesson in beautiful ,deceptive violence, masqueraded in a ball of self defense.

Classic ju jitsu, Akiedo, Brazilian Ju Jitsu, Wrestling and many other self defense arts owe there heritage to this revered form of martial arts.

I can argue to no end with Mr. Joe Rogan when he claims that the foundation that is the best suited for a fighter to learn is Grecco Roman or Folk style wrestling over any other type of martial art but to me that is a mere choice of Rogan's which I do not disagree with for any style to me done to perfection is just beautiful.

As a purple belt in Judo I am a little biased or I wouldn't have wrote this piece to begin with , but sometimes it's not about the new generation of fighters as much as it is about the old men of Martial Arts.

Lets not forget , AT ONE TIME TEDDY ROOSEVELT ACTUALLY HAD A WHOLE WING OF THE WHITE HOUSE AS A DO-JO FOR HIS JUDO PRACTICING.

Now how cool is that!

 Wanderlei Silva at one time was just down right the scariest fighter in all of MMA, and I don't think many will argue that.

UFC 116, has "The Axe Murderer" fighting an enigma in Yoshihiro "SEXYAMA" Akiyama!

Has the one time striker in Silva run out of ways to get a crowd of blood thirsty fans pumped, well no but his killer instinct is seemingly   falling farther in between fights.

Now he must fight the most underrated fighter in his "new " division in "Sexyama" and I do not like his chances.

Alan Belcher has risen to contender status with his win over a very "ring rusted " Patrick Cote, but it was quite a while back when Akiyama proved his worth as a fighter beating Belcher in a very close match.

Since then Akiyama has stayed under the spotlight and dormant, which I do not know if it his doing or the UFC'S but he should have been more active to keep his name from dropping off the face of the earth.

Akiyama or "Sexyama" can and probably will present a lot of problems for the "Axe Murderer" since Wanderlei Silva has slipped into gatekeeper country, like it or not.

Yes he did beat up on everybody's red-headed stepchild in Michael "The Count" Bisping but that was expected of him.

I do not see things turning out the same however for Silva in his next fight with Akiyama for he is a solid Judoka with a great deal of hand speed and is very skilled when mounted, however getting people down and mounting them is not Wanderlei's specialty.

What I am looking for is Wanderlei to want to stand and bang out punches with Akiyama which the Japanese/Korean dualship fighter can and will likely weather.

Then look for for the takedowns to come into play,Judo style of course, with Yosihiro getting the majority of them , frustrating the once "mass murderer" of the ring.

Wanderlei Silva , who's six to seven year run in MMA as a brutal assasin is over with.

 He is now just an ordinary fighter with an ocassional killer knockout for the highlight reels. As a matter of fact if Wandelei Silva can't get to the top of his new division soon I look for the "Hall Of Fame" fighter to call it quits in the near future. Lets hope he can go out that way instead of being fired by Dana White!

Yoshihiro Akiyama , who is 13 and 1 with two nc's has not fought in one year since his battle with Alan Belcher, even though he looked spectacular in the fight, it has been Belcher who has remained the more active fighter in the cage and has looked solid doing it.

Akiyama can not continue to fight at a snail's pace and expect the UFC brass to really take him as a legit contender. He has the tools to fight with the class of the division, with a great repotoire of moves and a has very good stamina inside the cage.

Akiyama recovered very quick with the orbital bone fracture suffered in the Belcher fight, which in my opinion was one of the better fights of last year, but that is the problem,  "LAST YEAR", now after turning down several fights offered to him he will finaly get his shot at the legendary Wanderlei " The Axe Murderer" Silva! ..........GOD SPEED YOU EMPORERER!

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"I dreamed, but I knew it was going to be true one day. How many people are going to have a shot. How many people have the chance to fight for the title against the best fighter in the world. I don't want to go there and just fight. I want to go there and lift that Octagon with the belt. I think he's the best fighter in the world. But he's a man. He has his weakness. Anderson Silva for sure can be defeated. Any man can be defeated. I will be the man that will give the toughest time for him inside the Octagon. I'm sure of my style, and I'm sure I always come to fight and be aggressive. Anderson Silva is coming to knock me out, and at the same time I go to the submission. If I got his arm or his neck, he's going to be in trouble. As soon as I get the chance, I will put him down." -Demian Maia

Brazilian jiu-jitsu savant Demian Maia talks about his highly anticipated upcoming showdown with consensus pound-for-pound stalwart and middleweight champion Anderson Silva. The match up pits Maia, who many consider to be have MMA's slickest submissions vs. Silva, a man many consider to be the sports' top overall striker.

Maia (12-1) is an absolute wizard on the ground. The highly decorated Brazilian jiu-jitsu champion has finished eight of his 12 wins by submission, earning four Submission of the Night awards in the process. He holds big Octagon wins over Ed Herman, Jason MacDonald, Nate Quarry, Chael Sonnen, and Dan Miller.

Maia's only loss came against Nate Marquardt at UFC 102 where the Brazilian was dropped by a big right while coming forward just 21-seconds into the fight.

Silva (25-4) hasn't lost a fight since being disqualified in a scrap against Yushin Okami in 2004. The Tae Kwon Do, Judo and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt has reeled off a UFC record 11 straight wins since the loss; including five middleweight title defenses, and two very impressive first-round knockout wins at light-heavyweight.

He is generally considered, along with current welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre and former Pride heavyweight champion Fedor Emelianenko as one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world.

*Please visit FiveKnuckles.com for more mixed martial arts media*

Upon Jon Jones' most recent elbow exclamation, it will be hard for the UFC to temper the excitement surrounding the escalation of the promotion's most impressive youngster.

It's only getting more difficult to suppress the high-voltage vibe he sends out with each scary strike, inventive takedown and outlandish performance.

But Dana White is trying. Or at least he says he is. For reasons I don't fully understand.

Disregard the verbal slobbering White did Sunday night after Jones' first-round TKO over Brandon Vera at UFC on Versus 1. Forget all the "awesomes" and all the "amazings" that were tossed about with effervescence, again, regarding this 22-year-old phenom.

White reportedly says he doesn't want Jones facing title-contending competition for another year. Even though Jones aced his test against the veteran Vera, who was supposed to provide his sternest to date, White wants to maintain a slow, gradual burn with this particular ball of fire.

But it won't stop fans like me from screaming for White to lose the governor already.

And it won't stop fans like me from asking, with frustration, what's the point in the hold up?

Let's make no "Bones" about it here: Jones is ready for his close-up, or else why was he plunked down in the main event of the promotion's latest edition on a network TV broadcast?

I understand that Jones is a rising star who has enormous room for growth. I understand the desire to protect that upside for what could be an eventual reign. I understand that his level of competition to this point hasn't been intimidating as he has built a 10-1 mark (4-1 in the UFC, the lone defeat being a disqualification for illegal elbows against Matt Hamill). And I understand that the longer Jones is built up with mid-level foes, the more money the UFC can rake in on his climb to the top.

But judging from his brief yet emphatic Octagon career, it seems like the only people the UFC are trying to protect by continuing Jones' deliberate advancement are the poor fellas who have to step into the cage with him.

After all, it's not like the once-loaded light heavyweight division is still brimming with talent. As for stars, or pay-per view cash cows, or former champions who have fallen on inconsistency for one reason or another, yes, they are aplenty at 205 pounds. The list includes Couture, Jackson, Evans, Liddell, Franklin, Griffin, Ortiz.

But other than undefeated champion Lyoto Machida, recent challenger Mauricio Rua and the moonlighting (or is he moving up permanently?) Anderson Silva, there aren't many UFC light heavies who can match the surge that Jones in enjoying against even mediocre competition.
Jones hasn't been hurt and has rarely even appeared to be in danger during his bouts. And for a novice who's only trained for two years, that's a big statement to make in the world's top MMA organization.

The kid already possesses a unique frame (6-foot-4 with a LeBron-esque wing-span that makes his elbow strikes more dangerous than many fighters' punches). He has a solid junior college wrestling background, studies Judo in his spare time and has shown an uncanny aptitude for the standup game.

I'm no trainer and I don't have an MMA background, but I have a hard time believing that Jones would be overwhelmed against any of the aforementioned men despite his early stage of development.

If White and his cohorts are concerned that a bad defeat might derail this young man, they've lost sight of the fact that MMA fighters lose and bounce back and lose and bounce back throughout their careers. That's part of this game. It's no reason for restriction, especially given Jones' apparently level head and the fact that a mental guru, Greg Jackson, is now in his corner.

I'm not suggesting Jones has already worked his way into the 205-pound title conversation. Still, I don't want to see another "test" against, say, Keith Jardine, either.

There's certainly no need to immediately throw him to the light heavyweight wolves. However, rawness and inexperience shouldn't be reasons to prohibit Jones from joining a lead pack that includes big dogs that have lost some of their bite.

He's young, but he's no puppy.

*Please visit FiveKnuckles.com for more mixed martial arts media*

Amir Sadollah and Dong Hyun Kim will likely return to action at UFC 114, where Sadollah will join fellow "Ultimate Fighter" season winners Rashad Evans, Forrest Griffin, Diego Sanchez, and Efrain Escudero on a fight card fast becoming a "who's who" of past TUF alumni. According to MMAJunkie, the May 29 bout between the two welterweights is close to be being finalized.

Sadollah emerged victorious in his appearance on the "Ultimate Fighter" season 7, where he competed as a middleweight and defeated CB Dolloway by way of a first-round armbar in the finale. Since then, Sadollah has dropped to 170 lbs and gone 2-1 as a welterweight, most recently earning a decision win over Brad Blackburn at UFC fight Night 20.

Kim, a fourth Dan black belt in Judo, is undefeated in his professional career, with a record of 12-0-1, with one no contest. After winning his first two UFC matches, Kim's unblemished record seemed to be over when he lost a controversial split-decision to Karo Parisyan at UFC 94, but that fight was later ruled a no-contest after Parisyan tested positive for banned painkillers. Kim last fought at UFC 100, where he earned a decision victory over TJ Grant.

Josh Sanchez provides his thoughts on the top P4P fighters today in a guest editorial for MMA HQ.

The best pound for pound fighter—lists like these always spark a debate.

There is no exact science, and that’s why people can get overly offended and defensive when discussing such a thing.

You have to look at the fighter’s dominance in their own division. This isn’t matching up guys saying who could beat who, it’s a list compiling the most dominant fighters in the sport, regardless of their weight.

It’s hard to pick ten, but enjoy the guys I have picked as the best mixed martial artists in the world.

Honorable Mentions:

Shinya Aoki (DREAM), Jake Shields (Strikeforce), Yushin Okami (UFC), Dan Henderson (UFC), Josh Barnett (Affliction), Shogun Rua (UFC), Rashad Evans (UFC), Jose Aldo (WEC)

10. Quinton “Rampage” Jackson – UFC

Record: 30-7-0

Rampage Jackson is a fan favorite. He will always say and do what he wants. He’s very charismatic and he makes his presence known everywhere he goes.

Jackson is 4-1 in his last five fights. In that time, Rampage has some impressive victories over top guys like Chuck Liddell, Wanderlei Silva, and Dan Henderson. His only loss in that time was to Forrest Griffin.

Rampage is set to coach season ten of the Ultimate Fighter against Rashad Evans. The two will fight after the show with the winner facing either Lyoto Machida or Shogun Rua for the title.

9. Mike Brown – WEC

Record: 22-4-0

Mike Brown is the current featherweight champion in the WEC. He hasn’t lost since December of 2005, and he shows no signs of slowing down.

His most recent bout was a rematch against Urijah Faber. The match was a Fight of the Year candidate, and it proved that Mike Brown’s first victory over Faber was no fluke.

Brown has no shortage of competition in the division. There are guys like Wagnney Fabiano and Jose Aldo who are ready to step in and fight. With this level of competition, Brown can either keep climbing the rankings or lose his spot in the top ten.

One thing is for sure—Brown is an incredible fighter, and there’s no shortage of excitement in his fights.

8. Gegard Mousasi – DREAM/Affliction

Record: 25-2-1

Gegard Mousasi is no question one of the best fighters in the world. It is just a shame that he doesn’t get the publicity that he deserves.

Mousasi holds an impressive 25-2-1 record and he is just 23 years of age. He is a former DREAM and Cage Warriors middleweight champion, but he is currently fighting in the light-heavyweight division and potentially will end up a heavyweight.

Mousasi would be a star signing to any organization. His next fight is at Affliction: Trilogy where he will be facing Renato “Babalu” Sobral and then he will face Sokoudjou in October at DREAM 12.

If you don’t already know Mousasi, go out and look him up. He will be a household name in the future.

7. BJ Penn – UFC

Record: 13-5-1

BJ Penn has his hands full these next few fights. After dabbling in the welterweight division only to get destroyed by Georges St. Pierre, Penn is returning to the division that calls him champion.

His next fight is against Kenny Florian next month in Philadelphia. If Penn can retain his belt he is likely looking at a match against the always-dangerous Diego Sanchez.

Penn is a legend in the sport. His jiu-jitsu is phenomenal, but he needs to keep training hard to stay in the mixed martial arts elite. The rest of the lightweight division is coming hard.

6. Nick Diaz – Strikeforce

Record: 20-7-0

Love him or hate him, Nick Diaz is one of the best fighters in the world. His boxing is textbook, and his ground game is world-class.

Diaz is riding a five-fight winning streak, and will fight Joe Riggs for the Strikeforce welterweight title on August 15th.

Diaz is often looked at as a villian in the sport. His antics before, during, and after fights often get his opponents off their game. A lot of people may not like his attitude, but you can’t deny his skill. His only setback is his marijuana usage.

If he could stay drug free, he could wind up back in the UFC for a potential fight with Georges St. Pierre. It’s purely speculation, but the match would be incredibly technical, and an all-time great.

5. Ryoto “Lyoto” Machida – UFC

Record: 15-0-0

Lyoto Machida has never lost, or been hurt, during a mixed martial arts fight. Machida is a karate wizard, and his style is so unique and unpredictable that it has catapulted him into fame.

Machida is currently the UFC’s Light-Heavyweight Champion after his impressive knockout win over Rashad Evans.

When you look through his record and see wins over Rich Franklin, BJ Penn, Tito Ortiz, and Rashad Evans, you know Machida’s the real deal.

He’s the most intelligent fighter currently in the sport. He’s the champion in a loaded division, and this will only help him show his dominance.

In his next fight, Machida will face Shogun Rua for the title, and if he can win, he will face the winner of Rashad Evans vs. Rampage Jackson.

What we are witnessing with Machida is magical; don’t take his skill for granted.

4. Fedor Emelianenko – Affliction

Record: 30-1-0 (1 NC)

At every UFC event, you hear the chants of “Fedor, Fedor, Fedor,” and it looks like soon, the fans will be getting their wish. UFC President Dana White has said that the organization will sign Fedor.

There is no denying the talent. Fedor is a monster with a record of 30-1 (1 NC), his only loss being filled with controversy.

Fedor’s Sambo and his Judo skills are some of the best in the world, and it translates to him being the most feared heavyweight.

He has an upcoming match with Josh Barnett that will headline Affliction: Trilogy. After that, we’ll just have to wait and see where Fedor winds up.

3. Georges St. Pierre – UFC

Record: 19-2-0

Georges St. Pierre is a physical freak. He’s got incredible conditioning, and he’s one of the best wrestlers in the sport.

St. Pierre is 9-1 in his last ten fights, and his last two wins have come in dominating fashion. He’s shown the ability to control where the fight goes and get the win.

There’s no competition for St. Pierre inside the UFC’s welterweight division, so everyone would like to see him fight Anderson Silva. If this fight is to happen, it would be one of the best in the sport’s history.

2. Miguel Angel Torres – WEC

Record: 37-1-0

Miguel Torres, the WEC Batamweight Champion, is one of the most under-appreciated fighters. He has won 17 straight fights and has not lost a bout since 2003.

A lot of people want to discredit Torres’ accomplishments because the “135 division isn’t that strong,” but when you steamroll through everyone like Torres has, you are clearly a top-tier fighter.

Torres has unorthodox and incredible Muay Thai skills, and if you take him to the ground he will beat you with his black-belt BJJ game.

WEC 42 in August against Brian Bowles is where Torres will next defend his title. If he runs through another opponent, I wouldn’t be shocked to see a Mike Brown vs. Miguel Torres fight in the future.

1. Anderson Silva – UFC

Record: 24-4-0

Anderson Silva does it like no one else. He is slick, intelligent, and unbelievably accurate.

Silva has a ten-fight win streak, and his only loss since 2004 was by DQ after an illegal kick.

People have criticized Silva after his last two fights, but he’s not to blame. He stays on his game and just picks apart his opponents. They have no answer for him.

Silva remains at the top of the sport. He will fight Forrest Griffin next month in Philadelphia as he tries to pick apart the 205 pound division, like he did his previous division.

The day before she stepped into the ring to fight Shayna Baszler, I told you not to sleep on Sarah Kaufman, the hard-hitting Victoria, British Columbia native who was 9-0 at the time and coming off a solid win over Miesha Tate.

A day later, I was posting congratulatory messages on her Facebook page. What? That's how I roll. Not two weeks later, Josh Gross of Sports Illustrated named Kaufman Female Fighter of the Year in his first half awards. I left that link on her Facebook page too, and followed it up with an interview request. Professional, I know.

For some reason she accepted, eagerly at that, and earlier this week we talked about the state of MMA in Canada, the build-up to the Carano - Cyborg fight and a host of other things in the second installment of the K2 Interviews Series.

* * * * * * * * * *

We’ll start with the ubiquitous first MMA interview question: When did you first become a fan of Mixed Martial Arts?

Well, I started doing Muay Thai with my coach, Adam Zugec, in late 2002. I had never watched a fight, or even been interested in combat sports, but it seemed like it might be fun to take. I was immediately addicted. I probably didn’t start watching any MMA until about 2 years later.

I specifically remember watching a fight where Bas Rutten badly broke his nose, was asked if he wanted to continue, and went back in. I think he won the fight. From there MMA grabbed my attention and I began following more of the events.

What was the progression between that initial interest and where you are now? How did you go from taking a couple classes to becoming a fighter?

Originally, I only took 1 class per week—as I had prior commitments with dance, school and work—but after a year, I jumped into as many classes as I could. Then another year later, I started grappling. I didn’t have any ambition of fighting, I just wanted to be as good as possible.

As I am an extremely competitive person (even playing dodgeball in the kids’ classes that I teach at ZUMA), as my technique improved, I wanted to try participating in some local tournaments. I did my first tournament in late 2004 and had a great time. At one tournament, I had a grappling match with Liz Posener.

A few months later, Adam got a call asking if I would like to fight Liz Posener in MMA. It sounded fun to me, so I trained really hard, fought hard, and came away with a 3rd round KO! That was June 3, 2006, and I haven’t looked back since.

In your opinion, what is the state of MMA in Canada and where do you see it going in the next year?

For a while, MMA in Canada (especially for females) was pretty good. There were quite a few bigger shows like KOTC, MFC, TKO, HCF, and XMMA, but now it seems like many of these organizations have had some problems, and have shut down. MFC is probably the biggest show in Canada, and they run a great show, but won’t have women on it.

KOTC goes all over Canada with their shows, and I fought for them at the beginning of my fighting career. There are a group of smaller shows that do well in their province; I think these are great for building up an inexperienced fighter, but the bigger stages for MMA are definitely in the US or overseas.

Right now, there are quite a few provinces that haven’t legalized MMA, so that has hindered MMA’s ability to really expand throughout Canada. Over the next year, I hope that Canada is able to keep developing shows that produce good fighters, as I think Canada has a lot of talent.

Do you think that once we see Ontario pass legislation that the rest of the provinces will fall in line and do the same?

I definitely hope so, but there is no guarantee. For example, there are MMA shows that are sanctioned in BC, but Vancouver will not allow it. Vancouver legalized MMA years ago (when it wasn’t all that popular), but then decided to take the sanctioning back.

Even when presented with statistics of injury rates in other sports like football, hockey and even boxing that are legal, it doesn’t make a difference. I really hope that MMA will pass legislation in Ontario, as it seems like others use them as a reference.

The Aug. 15 fight between Cyborg and Gina Carano is getting a lot of attention, including Sherdog’s Loretta Hunt believing it will get more attention than UFC 100 in the end. First, what are your thoughts on the attention the fight is getting and what kind of impact do you see it having?

I do think this fight will get, and deserves to get, a lot of attention. Gina Carano and Cyborg have both been in the public eye, and MMA fans know who they are. Anyone who watches American Gladiators knows who Gina is.

EliteXC, CBS, Strikeforce and Showtime are to thank for putting so much emphasis on the females, and look where it has put this female fight: the main event! I really think the fact that Gina has been such a huge draw in the past, whether it is for her looks or her fighting ability, is one reason that Strikeforce is able to have them headline the card.

This is a great thing for Women's MMA, because when this card draws huge numbers, it will put to rest the comments that females shouldn’t and couldn’t put on a good fight AND make money for the promoters. People are excited for this fight, as they should be for all female bouts.

I’m not saying that the only reason people are going to watch this card is the Carano-Cyborg fight—there are some great fights on the card—but it is definitely going to be one of the big reasons.

For me, both ladies NEED to make weight, in order for Women's MMA to be considered professional and legitimate. There needs to be no drama, and both women need to fight hard. It’s going to be a lot of pressure for both, but they have been put in the forefront, and need to put on a good show. I think they can and will live up to it.

Is there any part of you that is frustrated by how these two fighters in particular have been put into the public eye as emblematic of Women’s MMA?

I think that Strikeforce has really changed women’s fighting for the better. I feel like they took what EliteXC started, and have really tried to make it about more than just 2 fighters.

It was very frustrating for me to see so many female fighters (Julie Kedzie, Kaitlin Young, Kelly Kobald) go under the radar. For a while it was definitely the Gina Carano show, but I really think that has started to change and Gina has been a big part of that.

Their fight is for the Strikeforce 145 lbs. Women’s title. Where do you see yourself in the title picture and has Strikeforce given you any indication of what is next for you?

I would love to fight for a 135 lbs title for Strikeforce. I’m not sure who or when or if this will happen, but I’m ready for it. I really like fighting actively, so I would love to be able to fight as soon as possible. I know that Strikeforce has a fight card late September, so hopefully I’ll be able to get on that card, but as of yet, I’m not entirely sure.

MMA Junkie’s Dr. Benjamin recently stated his feelings on Women’s MMA and his lack of interest in seeing women fight 3x5 or 5x5. He also made some statements about women being more susceptible to injuries. How tired are you of hearing people say women couldn’t or shouldn’t do certain things?

Dr Benjamin obviously doesn’t know what he is talking about regarding women’s fighting. It sounds more to me like he just doesn’t like women fighting, which is his personal choice, and is trying to find any reason to put us down.

I really am sick of hearing people comment about women’s fighting in a negative light; if they don’t like it, just don’t watch it. I don’t know how most of the comments are even valid anymore, as time and again, female fights are the highlights of the fight cards.

Your fight with Shayna Baszler—congratulations again by the way—was three, five-minute rounds and you went the full fifteen. Did you find a big difference in going the extra time?

I felt great fighting for 5 minute rounds. Other than my first fight (which used the under 3 fights must fight 3 minute rounds) and in California, all of my fights have been 5 minute rounds.

I love the 5 minutes because no one has a significant advantage in terms of not being able to implement her game plan. I couldn’t be happier that Strikeforce finally decided to switch over.

Enough of the “State of Women’s MMA” talk, onto some easier stuff:

Favourite fighter?

Denis Kang, BJ Penn

Best fight you’ve ever seen – live or otherwise?

Primarily Stand Up - Jorge Gurgel, Connor Huen
Primarily Ground - Diego Sanchez, Nick Diaz

Most underrated fighter right now?

Brock Lesnar

Most overrated?

Anderson Silva

Pound for Pound, who do you think is the best in the world?

BJ Penn. Despite losing to GSP (a stud at 170), I think BJ could handle himself against most competitors at 170 and has fought even higher in the past

Best prospect?

Diego Wilson...he trains at ZUMA Martial Arts and is a beast at 145lbs. He is very talented in all areas of MMA, and fights in a crazy yet controlled manner. Watch out for him in the future!

Care to make some predictions for UFC 100?

I’m generally not very good at predicting, but here goes:

Lesnar vs. Mir?

Lesnar is such an athlete, that I think Mir will have his hands full. Based on Lesnar’s athleticism, wrestling and punching power, I think Brock takes this by TKO rd 3.

GSP vs. Thiago Alves?

If GSP fights a smart fight, it will probably go in a similar fashion as the BJ Penn fight and he will either win by TKO in rd 4, or decision.

Henderson vs. Bisping?

I would love to see Henderson pull out this fight. But I’m not sure how he wins...maybe decision.

Jon Fitch vs. Paulo Thiago?

That’s a tough one, but I will go with Jon Fitch. He is a great wrestler, and is really tough, so I think he’ll take this fight. I’ll go with a tko in the 2nd round.

Alan Belcher vs. Yoshihiro Akiyama?

Both are good strikers and hit hard, but Akiyama has some serious Judo skills, so I’ll give the fight to him.

Back to the questions...

Dana White has spoken openly about hoping to see MMA in the Olympics in the future. Do you think it’s a possibility, why or why not?

I think it would be hard to have MMA in the Olympics, based on the current rules that are generally used. The small gloves cut and cause contusions quite easily, so after the first tier of fights, I would think that many competitors would be eliminated due to surface injuries.

Maybe they could try and change some of the rules and implement head gear, shin pads and MMA gloves with more padding (similar to old Shooto gloves). It would be great to have an avenue for fighters to gain some experience though, so I hope that some form of MMA becomes part of the Olympics.

Speaking of White, what are your thoughts on the UFC President—are you a fan, think he’s a douchebag, not really fussed either way?

Honestly, Dana White has done a lot for the sport, along with the Fertitta’s. So as a businessman, and for MMA’s popularity as a whole, I need to thank Dana. As a person, I don’t know. I have never met him, but have only heard and seen interviews he has done in the past.

He has made a lot of seemingly chauvinistic comments, which I don’t enjoy, and seems to think it extremely cool to say F*** every 2 seconds, but other than that I am not bothered by him. Strikeforce has made a great platform for females to fight, so if Dana White doesn’t want to capitalize on females, someone else will/has.

If you could play matchmaker for one day, regardless of organizational ties or anything like that, what three fights would you make and why?

Aoki vs BJ Penn - Aoki is known for his submissions, and BJ has that crazy flexibility and submissions, too. I think it would be really interesting to see how this fight would turn out.

Fedor vs Brock Lesnar - I think it would be a huge test for both fighters. Fedor, because I don’t think he has fought anyone as big AND athletic as Lesnar is; and Lesnar, because he would be going up against a veteran with an unbeatable aura.

Sarah Kaufman vs Tara Larosa - Tara has been at the number one spot for a long time at 135lbs. I would love the opportunity to fight her, and think that would be an awesome fight. (Author's Note to Scott Coker: Make this fight happen... please!)

My wife and I are thinking of moving to Victoria next Spring and are planning a visit in the Fall. Anywhere in particular we should look, favourite restaurants we should check out, gyms we should get memberships at?

If you’re coming to Victoria, you should definitely come to ZUMA Martial Arts. It’s close to downtown, and is definitely the best gym on the island. Adam Zugec is an amazing instructor and coach, and everyone is really welcoming.

I’m not sure what kind of food you like, but Wild Saffron is one of the nicest restaurants in Victoria. The Malahat Inn is also good food with an amazing view. Victoria is an amazing place to live.

Any final comments or shoutouts?

I would like to thank my coach Adam Zugec, my team at ZUMA Martial Arts, MTX Audio, Carnal Dammage, Ifight...and everyone who has helped get me to where I am today. I really hope to stay actively fighting this year, so watch for me in Strikeforce!

Thanks for doing this.

Is Alex Ovechkin Playing Kung Fu Hockey? The Pittsburgh Penguins accused him of hitting with an intent to injure after he hurt Sergei Gonchar and others.

Is Alex Ovechkin using the secrets of Far Eastern energy movement techniques when he plays hockey? His slap shots and wrist shots are so hard, you have to suspect he is using qi gung, kung fu, or some secret Shaolin techniques.

Yesterday, I wrote a column called Top 10 Zen Forest Meditation Tips and it proved to be popular, so I thought I'd follow it up with the Top 10 Zen Forest Qi Gung Secrets.

The high speed, hard hitting sport we call hockey is becoming ppopular in Asian nations so quickly, the NHL may soon have to plan for an Asian Division when it goes global, with Divisions in Canada, the USA, Europe, and Russia.

Claude Lemieux made his return to the NHL this year by way of playing for the China Sharks before joining the San Jose Sharks.

It amazes me there aren't already a lot of Asians or martial arts experts excelling in pro sports in North America. After all, the Far East is the home of the martial arts and energy exercises, starting with Qi Gong.

Sometimes I wonder if certain players like Ovechkin are using the ancient secrets of the Shaolin when they play hockey.

Here's the top ten things you need to know about Shaolin, Qi Gong, and Kung Fu for hockey.

1. Qi gong is also known as Qigong, chi kung, and so on. However you spell it, it has a close relationship to the Chinese martial arts and to traditional Chinese medicine.

2. Qi gong or chi kung is also related to tai chi.

3. Chi means energy, or life force, as in "may the force be with you."

4. Qi gong masters can, reportedly, harness chi, prana, or energy flow and used it to throw a person across a room, break bricks with bare hands, boards with heads, and so on.

5. Qi Gong originated in a temple called Shaolin, where a mysterious, bearded, blue-eyed Buddhist from southern India taught some tired monks how to get in shape.

6. Qi Gong is at the heart of many martial arts, including ju jitsu, tae kwon do, judo, Bagua, Drunken Boxing, Eagle Claw, Five Animals, Hsing I, Hung Gar, Lau Gar, Monkey, Bak Mei Pai, Praying Mantis, Fujian White Crane, Wing Chun and Tai Chi Chuan.

7. Zen Buddhist monks may not like to make a connection between energy exercises and all those violent, competitive sports, as they are non-competitive pacifists.

8. At the Zen Forest, meditation is followed by qi gong exercises and the combination of the two is very energizing.

9. Using qi gong in the Zen Forest, I learned how to split logs effortlessly for hours.

10. Shaolin Soccer was a silly movie and so far as I know, nobody has used qi gong for shaolin hockey, for some reason.

You have to wonder what goes into the shots of Alex Ovechkin. He takes more shots than anyone and they are fast, hard, and accurate.

Blocking his shots hurts, as the New York Rangers discovered in the first round of the NHL playoffs this year. Getting hit by one of his shots accidentally cause injury.

His shots that miss the net have shattered the glass behind the goal. Is he using the force, or life energy?

Ultimate Fighting was the beginning, now this damn fight club's moving away from its  underground underpinnings, and it's called mixed martial arts.

Mixed Martial Arts— a sport that combines grappling and striking techniques—is gaining big-time mainstream popularity across America and around the world.

Ultimate Fighting relates to an MMA organization known as the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

Mixed Martial Arts refers to a fighting style that incorporates wrestling, Muay Thai boxing, Jiu-Jitsu, Judo, and other fighting techniques used in professionally sanctioned fights.

An "ultimate fighter" is an award given to the winner of a UFC-based reality T.V. show on Spike TV, known ironically—or not—as The Ultimate Fighter.

We know the newspaper medium is outdated and dying, but the New York Times is supposed to be to the best of the best. All the news that's fit to print.

This is not the first, and it won't be the last time, NY Times' columnists have spoken unintelligibly about the sport of mixed martial arts—all the sport that's safe to sell.  

NY Times columnist, Virginia Heffernan's recent piece spoke about her husband's new interest in what she calls "ultimate fighting," and her shame to tell all her desperate housewife friends about her husband's new obsession with such a bloody-bloody sport. 

To her credit, she enjoys the sweet science of boxing, which she believes is what matters most when judging man's highest achievement in hand-to-hand combat sports. But boxing too has been around as long as newspapers.

Maybe as a sports writer, she grew up as a fan watching the sport, and now can't accept  mixed martial arts replacing her beloved boxing as a generation's new fight.

As newspaper must compete with the Internet, boxing must compete with mixed martial arts. Both must evolve to survive.

Still her misconception that all mixed martial arts happens in the "Ultimate Fighting" Championship further perpetuates the ill-convinced notion that "ultimate fighting" (actually MMA) is more dangerous than boxing ever dreamt.

Is this why mixed martial arts, not boxing, remains banned in states across America?

In boxing, repeatedly hitting someone when they're down and rendering them helpless on his back, is not allowed. When a fighter outlasts a standing 10-count and recovers, his opponent rewards him with even more repetitive blows to their respective domes.

Whereas, such rules literally define the bloody sport of boxing, not even all mixed martial arts fights involve fighters merely throwing punches—there's ground-and-pound assaults, submission attempts, and leg kicks.

In mixed martial arts, most refs recognizes when a fight needs stopping immediately. Other times, accomplished refs like Yves Lavigne at UFC 95 in February, no-calls resume fights and allow a fighter, Mike Brown, to beat and bloody the defenseless, Pete Sell

Is that why?

Mixed martial arts is as legit a sport as American football. The Ultimate Fighting Championship is an organization, much like the National Basketball Association.

When you order an MMA pay-per-view, you may—or may not—be ordering a UFC PPV, but the chances are increased. The UFC may be the most known brand, but Strikeforce, Affliction, M1-Global, and even Zuffa-owed WEC are ALL mixed martial organizations.

We know all the letters and numbers confuse some people so we won't fault her for those shortcomings. We know it's hard to know the difference among all them so we don't blame people for viewing MMA from the perspective of Heffernan.

The sport's evolution has come a long way in a short time, and still has not reached the level of popularity as Major League Baseball or the National Football League.

Sooner or later, with the help of the UFC, mixed martial arts will increase in popularity to a mainstay in the American sports lexicon.

Heffernan distastefully reminds us her column that her middle-aged housewife friends refer to mixed martial arts as "the thing where they actually kill each other."

Please, let us meet the person who this quote should be attributed too, we've love to interview them on the record, of course.

Seriously, that has to be the most idiotic and asinine statement we've ever read.

She further insults her readers intelligence by constantly reminding them of this most obvious of facts.

Yes, Virgie, we know the fighters from your hubby's new "ultimate fighting" viewing hobby, do not actually kill each other.

Please do not push your passion for the christ-like sacrifice you feel these fighters do not portray, and your readers do not appreciate.

As if those reading the New York Times aren't educated enough to realize a sport, as popular as MMA, in an organization, as popular as the UFC, allows fighters to sacrifice more then the health of their bodies, is fruitless.

They may beating-the-living crap out of their opponents each time they step inside a fighting ring, but who doesn't? Winning isn't everything, and the money isn't great.

Professional fighters' true sacrifice is the time they miss spending with their family and friends because they're off training trying to provide for their family's future.

As if anyone anywhere reading anything about anything would ever believe that we, as human-beings, would allow such a sport where one person goes to war against another person with the winner decided by bloodshed and death, to continue being broadcast on late-night public access stations, weekly prime-time cable television shows, and bimonthly UFC pay-per-views is the most ridiculous assumption for a journalist of Virginia Heffernan's ilk to make of her highly educated readership.

Mixed martial arts is not a blood sport.

And to suggest "ultimate fighting" fans, and those who train mixed martial arts are as dumb as she assumes her readers, we not surprised the story only has seven comments or the paper's profit margins dwindle.

Save the bullshit for a book.

She sure as hell isn't talking to MMA's prime demographic of males ages 18-45, who may—or may not— read the New York Times.

Regardless, they sure as hell do not need to read the NY Times to know mixed martial arts fighters do not actually die inside the ring.

No one does.

No one reads the New York Times for those common-sense columns anyways.

Actually, we're unaware of any fighters dying while competing inside the ring. We know some fighters injure themselves during fights and training. We're sure it's possible for fighters to die during training, but again we've never heard of anyone. Maybe someone can correct us in the comments.

Heffernan further talks about the "steroidal lexicon" of mixed martial arts, which sounds like it would be more apropos for an expose on the pro baseball steroids era. And how the name "UFC" stems from the "corny pageantry of professional wrestling," whatever the hell that means. She's seems to have coined the term "ultimate fighter." Wonder where she thinks that name came from or does she believe we what believe?

Terms like tapping out, rear-naked chokes, and full-guard must be "steroidal lexicon" she references, and not the recent suspensions of Ken Shamrock and Baby Fedor. And the sport entertainment-ness of UFC fighters becoming larger-than-life athletes and recognizable wherever and whenever they walk down the street, must be what she means by "corney pageantry of professional wrestling."

In that case, she's even more uninformed than we realized about understanding the mixed martial arts culture and the business of the UFC.

Until people with knowledge of the sport become the ones scheduling and watching the fights; and those with no knowledge stop publishing misinformation about mixed martial arts, MMA will never recognized by media outlets, like the NY Times, as a sports heavyweight; thus the muckrakers submit the casual sports fan to complacency. 

It's the same story Cro-Cop told us, and it's the only one potential fans like Heffernan know. An all-bais no-knowledge bullshit approach to sports writing, and they sure as hell are not helping elevate the sports acceptance.

Through the deceptive media, the perception that mixed martial arts is an arcane relic still exists.

Like Heffermann's Blood Sport column, it's the only viewpoint she and others like her know how to defend. They refuse to accept mixed martial arts as a sport that sounds non-violent and safe because then others more ill-informed on the sport, soon realize mixed martial arts is not at all the dangerous and death-defying "ultimate fighting" their housewife friends told them.

Mixed martial arts, like pee-wee wrestling, Taekwondo, and Yoga, is a healthy way to express oneself through exercise. Of course, she doesn't present her mixed martial arts story in this manner because her story loses its edgy-ness and falls to back pages of the sports section.

Okay, well... we hope Heffernan enjoys her free UFC 95 fight tickets, but we're pretty sure she's never actually seen an MMA fight live in-person or ordered a pay-per-view in her life.

She also tells us how the Octagon is nothing more than a cage housing human cock-fighters, but even John McCain doesn't buy that chicken-coop crap anymore.

Cancel our cheap NY Times' Weekender Magazine subscription. We're not buying Heffernans' argument anymore.

You can read her entire piece here.