A few random questions about MMA...

[Guest Downhome]

I'm trying, TRYING to get interested in MMA, so help me out with a few of my random questions...

 

1) What is the favorite for the "best MMA fight" of all time?

 

2) Just how long has MMA been around in it's current form? How about the various groups like UFC, Pride, etc...?

 

3) How exactly is the ranking system set up, or how is it determined who gets a title shot, etc...?

 

4) Has anyone ever been killed in an MMA fight? From what I have seen so far, the refs and whatnot seem to really look out for the well being of the fighters. What is the most extreme injury in MMA?

 

5) Can you recall a bout in which a ref got too close to the action, and HE ended up getting hurt?

 

6) Who is the most liked guy (biggest face) in MMA?

 

7) Who is the most hated fighter (biggest heel I suppose) in MMA?

 

8) Overall, which event is said by most to be the "best"?

 

9) Are guys signed to contracts to one certain group, like Pride or UFC? How exactly does that work in this sport?

 

10) What does the average guy in MMA get paid? Also, what do the really big names get paid?

 

...I know these are very newbieish questions, but when I want to learn about something, I have questions. I know you guys know your stuff, so I figured I'd ask here before anywhere else, thanks!

 

Sincerely,

...Downhome...

[Guest The Son of Sting]

6) Who is the most liked guy (biggest face) in MMA?

 

Sakuraba and Sapp are the two biggest ticket sellers.Don Frye is a draw as well.

 

8) Overall, which event is said by most to be the "best"?

 

Pride 10 is one of the best shows.

 

9) Are guys signed to contracts to one certain group, like Pride or UFC? How exactly does that work in this sport?

 

Some guys sign exculsive contracts or one match deals.Shamrock signed a three fight deal when he was with Pride.Sapp is signed with K1 who loan him out to other groups for a fee.

 

10) What does the average guy in MMA get paid? Also, what do the really big names get paid?

 

I think Shamrock was getting something like 300,000 per fight in Pride.I would guess Sakuraba and Sapp maybe get something like 500,000 per fight. Pedro Rizzo gets paid a lot in UFC, recently his purse inc bonus has been in the region of 250,000.Im sure Shamrock got more for that for his fight with Ortiz.

[Guest cynicalprofit]

1. I dont know the net's favorite, but mine has to be the fight between...ah i cant think of the guy right now, or his opponent, but it was from ufc 6 or 7, i think, and he elbowed a guy 8 TIMES IN THE FREAKING HEAD, UNPROTECTED. Truly a moment i can not forget.

 

7. Id say tito ortiz because he ran his mouth, and did back it up, and he was/is ducking liddel(sp)

 

8. easy, new years eve ufc special 6 hour highlight show of ufc 1-40, you do not loose with it.

[Guest RavishingRickRudo]

1) What is the favorite for the "best MMA fight" of all time?

 

Tito Ortiz vs. Frank Shamrock from UFC 22 is generally considered the greatest UFC fight in history. My personal favourite UFC fight is Mark Coleman vs. Maurice Smith from UFC 14. Matt Serra vs. Shonie Carter UFC 32, Royce Gracie vs. Kimo UFC 3, Royce Gracie vs. Dan Severn UFC 4, Pedro Rizzo vs. Josh Barnett UFC 30, Rizzo vs. Randy Couture UFC 31, Carlos Newton vs. Dan Henderson UFC 17.

 

In Pride, Carlos Newton vs. Jose "Pele" Landis-Jons Pride 19, Mario Sperry vs. Murilo Ninja Pride 20, Antonio Rodrigo Nogeuira vs. Heath Herring/Dan Henderson/Fedor Emelianeko/Bob Sapp Pride 17/Shockwave/24/25, Yoshihiro Takayama vs. Don Frye Pride 21...

 

2) Just how long has MMA been around in it's current form? How about the various groups like UFC, Pride, etc...?

 

The "birth" of MMA as we know it is generally regarded as the debut of the UFC in 1993. The history of MMA is actually very interesting, and if you want to know more I suggest picking up the book "Brawl" - it's a great introduction to the sport, mostly detailing the UFC and all the drama around it.

 

Pride started in 1997 and many of its fighters came from other promotions like Shooto, RINGS, Pancrase, which had their origin in pro wrestling (many of its founders were pro wrestlers).

 

There are many other organizations like King of the Cage, UCC, IFC, HookNShoot, EC, etc. where fighters go through to get to the "big time".

 

3) How exactly is the ranking system set up, or how is it determined who gets a title shot, etc...?

 

There really isn't one. The UFC has theirs, but it's not really held to. They usually just take two "top" fighters and have a #1 contenders match. Ditto with Pride. If there's a strong fighter moving his way up the ranks, and he makes for an exciting fight, or he beats a top ranked fighter, or has an impressive record outside the organization, they'll usually put him up against the champ. I like to use Stephen Quadros' rankings http://www.stephenquadros.com/SQ_MMA_Top_Ten.html , they aren't the most exact or detailed, but it gives you a nice overview.

 

4) Has anyone ever been killed in an MMA fight? From what I have seen so far, the refs and whatnot seem to really look out for the well being of the fighters. What is the most extreme injury in MMA?

 

I recall hearing about one death that took place in an unsanctioned event in eastern europe... but nothing out of Pride or UFC. Let's put it this way, more people have died in pro wrestling and boxing than MMA. The most extreme injury that I can think of is from UFC 16 Frank Shamrock vs. Igor Zinoviev - the fight lasted about 20 seconds and Frank Slammed him down HARD - breaking a couple of ribs, his jam, and collarbone IIRC. He hasn't fought since.

 

5) Can you recall a bout in which a ref got too close to the action, and HE ended up getting hurt?

 

I can't remember any one time in particular, but Big John from the UFC tends to get physical when pulling fighters off each other.

 

6) Who is the most liked guy (biggest face) in MMA?

 

Kazushi Sakuraba, Bob Sapp, Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson, Wanderlei Silva, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Randy Couture, Tito Ortiz (this has been debated since his incident with Chuck), Chuck Liddell. Those are some pretty big babyfaces.

 

7) Who is the most hated fighter (biggest heel I suppose) in MMA?

 

Tough to say. Gilbert Yvel, maybe. Mirko Cro Cop gets a lil heat.

 

8) Overall, which event is said by most to be the "best"?

 

Pride 10, Pride 17, Pride 25, UFC 17, UFC 40, UFC 43.

 

9) Are guys signed to contracts to one certain group, like Pride or UFC? How exactly does that work in this sport?

 

UFC is now starting to sign guys to one-fight deals, because of the Tito Ortiz situation (and others) fighters always want to re-negotiate their pay after they win big matches. I don't know exactly how Pride does it.

 

10) What does the average guy in MMA get paid? Also, what do the really big names get paid?

 

The Avg is about 50 000 per fight, plus extra to win (say 50 to fight, 50 to win). Now, the high-end fighters usually avg. above 100, 000 to fight, but the lower-end fighters usually avg. 15 000. There's a thread in this folder that lists what the fighters were getting paid at the last UFC show. The "really big names" could get up to 250, 000 + to fight... in other words, there really is no average. Depends on the fighter

[Guest Lei Tong]

1) My favorites thus far: F.Shamrock vs. Ortiz; Pele vs. Macacco II; Semenov vs. Suloev I;

 

2) Already answered. However, I'd recomend No Holds Barred: Evolution. Brawl tends to to jump a bit much for my taste, and the obvious biases towards certain guys (cowriter Krauss is training with the Lion's Den).

 

3) The most respected (yet still debated) rankings around are the Mixed Martial Arts Media Top Ten, voted on by various MMA writers, promoters, etc. I don't really car much for Quadros' rankings, as he also has some biases, and some of his rankings simply make no sense at all (LaVerne Clark in the top 10 WW's?!)

 

4) IIRC, Douglas Dedge died from after an unsanctioned bout in Russia, and Neil Bodycote died after an Australian show. Dedge had a serious health condition that played a very large role in his death. I'm not too sure what heppened with Bodycote.

 

5) Haven't seen it.

 

6) Sakuraba, Liddell, Belfort (after the Eastman match), Murilo Bustamante, Rodrigo Noguiera & Wanderlei Silva (love/hate) are all up there.

 

7) Mostly big shit-talkers: Phil Baroni, Frank Trigg, Tito Ortiz, & Ricco Rodriguez all come to mind.

 

8) Of those not listed (just some of my faves) :Japan Vale Tudo '98; RINGS King of Kings Tournament 2000 Finals; Pancrase Neo Blood Tournament 2001;

 

9) Actually, the UFC started the using one fight deals mostly because of their long term signing of Pedro Rizzo, who, despite being lackluster for the better part of 2 1/2 years, is garaunteed $175,000 per fight, win or lose.

 

10) The general rule is: the bigger (weight class) you are, the better the pay. Also, many events have varying winning purses; some fighters make half their money via winning (Tito Ortiz is 80/80), while some have a large garauntee with little money to win (Tank Abbot is currently 150/20).

[Guest RavishingRickRudo]

Dana White on the law said the one fight deals mainly stemmed from fighters holding them hostage, ala the Tito situation. Though he did also talk about how the Rizzo situation was a failure for the company.

 

I liked the jumps in Brawl, they were some pretty smooth transitions and found it fairly easy to read (and neither did the two people who borrowed it from me), but that could be a taste thing. And yes, there is way too much attention paid to the lions den, but it's still a good introduction. Plus, I haven't read NHB Evo so I couldn't really recommend it.

 

I find Quardros' Top 10 gives you a good perspective at the current set up of each division. He has Cro Cop at #3 on the heavyweight side, while Mirko isn't even in the top ten on other lists. But Cro Cop is basically considered next up for Fedor.

[Guest Ace309]

1. I dont know the net's favorite, but mine has to be the fight between...ah i cant think of the guy right now, or his opponent, but it was from ufc 6 or 7, i think, and he elbowed a guy 8 TIMES IN THE FREAKING HEAD, UNPROTECTED. Truly a moment i can not forget.

 

Remco Pardoel?

[Guest Lei Tong]

-He could also be thinking of Gary Goodridge vs. Paul Herrera at UFC 8.

 

- DON'T trust Dana. But aside from that, I highly doubt it has to do with Tito, as in this case, Tito is in the wrong for not holding up to a legally binding contract. Mostly in a situation a la the Rizzo one, THEY are obligated to do something they don't want to do (like pay Rizzo 2X's as much as most other guys), where the multi-contracts are a problem.

 

- While it's nice he gave Cro Cop props, going on how orgs. have their own fighters ranked (and who gets title shots) isn't a great idea. Rather, it should be done on who've they beaten, polain and simple. If you go on what the MMA events say, Gil Castillo was higher ranked than Sean Sherk, Kanehara deserved a shot more than Arona, etc.

[Guest Brush with Greatness]

Actually, after the Rizzo situation the UFC moved to 3 fight deals for the most part. Only recently (after Tito situation) have they started moving towards 1 fight deals.

[Guest The Son of Sting]

7) Who is the most hated fighter (biggest heel I suppose) in MMA?

 

Shamrock got booed in his Pride matches with Fujita and Frye, although i think it was more who he was fighting rather than being disliked.

Gilbert Yvel and Ortiz get heel heat.

[Guest Jimmy Saint]

Baroni gets some serious heel heat. People like myself enjoy all his fights just hoping to see him lose.

 

 

Tito and Ricco usally get boos but its a more mixed reaction. In that last Lindland fight the crowd just shit on Baroni from his entrance onwards.

[Guest Dangerous A]

Shamrock was most likely booed in those Pride fights because Fujita was a native and Frye is one of the most recognized gaijin fighters, so that was probrably more of a recognition thing.

 

Ortiz gets heel heat because he's an asshole.

[Guest the 1inch punch]

you knoiw, you guys are really helpful for non MMA-fans, much nicer than the puro freaks

 

Just a thought

[Guest razazteca]

In an early UFC show I remember a sumo or samoan getting a nasty eye injury that caused fight stoppage. It looked like the eye itself was bleeding. Also see Don Frye's face after the fight against Tank Abbot in Ultimate Ultimate.

[Guest Lei Tong]

you knoiw, you guys are really helpful for non MMA-fans, much nicer than the puro freaks

 

Just a thought

It can be hard being a fan of both, as there seems to be quite a few people who love one and totally despise the other (although in reality, they have no reason to be

"competing" against each other).

[Guest RavishingRickRudo]

This is also one of the first times questions like these have been asked here - which IIRC was a problem in the Puro folder. Anything to drive convo as well.

[Guest the 1inch punch]

Yeah, its just a pity i cant get ANY MMA here in Ireland

[Guest Insane Bump Machine]

Yeah, its just a pity i cant get ANY MMA here in Ireland

If you have a fast connection you can download the events. That's what I do.

[Guest The Son of Sting]

Yeah, its just a pity i cant get ANY MMA here in Ireland

 

There are plenty of Pal tape sites that sell MMA.

[Guest the 1inch punch]

and where would be a good place to star, both looking for them and ones to buy

[Guest The Son of Sting]

http://www.pickstapes.co.uk/

 

http://www.kingoftheshill.com/ - ask for them as they arnt listed on site.

 

Both the best tape sites i have delt with.

 

To start i would get Pride 21 and K1/Pride Shockwave.

[Guest the 1inch punch]

thanks chief

[Guest The Son of Sting]

http://pub44.ezboard.com/bpalwrestlingtape...ingmessageboard

 

try here as well.

[Guest Army Eye]

6) Who is the most liked guy (biggest face) in MMA?

 

I'd say Kazushi Sakuraba and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira are the biggest babyfaces in MMA. I don't know anybody who doesn't like them. I'm not sure that it's possible NOT to like them. Sakuraba is basically the coolest guy you'll ever see, and Nogueira is very classy, humble, has an incredible work ethic, and can take an ungodly amount of punishment without giving up (vs. Sapp and Fedor). Both are amazing fighters too of course.

 

 

7) Who is the most hated fighter (biggest heel I suppose) in MMA?

 

Tito Ortiz has to be the #1 heel right now for refusing to fight Liddell. Phil Baroni of UFC is a great wrestling-style heel who is also a very exciting fighter. It's a shame Lindland beat him twice or he'd probably be a big star right now.

 

1) What is the favorite for the "best MMA fight" of all time?

 

There have been a lot of great fights but no real consensus on the #1. My personal favorites are Frank Shamrock vs. Tito Ortiz, Vanderlei Silva vs. Dan Henderson, Ninja vs. Mario Sperry, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira vs. Bob Sapp, to name a few. There's one fight that stands out in MMA history as being, easily the biggest and most important match ever, and that was Royce Gracie vs. Kazushi Sakuraba at the Pride Grand Prix Finals. It was the matchup of arguably the two biggest stars in MMA history, they went to war for _90_ minutes before Royce had to stop due to leg injuries, and the match turned Sakuraba from a superstar into 'immortal', as he gave Royce his first, and still his only loss in MMA competition. As for whether it is the BEST match, you could argue either way, but nevertheless it, and the Grand Prix in general, is a must-see for any aspiring MMA buff.