Like Baseball, the UFC is Seeing Its Share of Controversy
May 14th, 2009 by admin
A lot of attention has been paid to the NFL and Major League Baseball lately due to rules changes and steroid scandals. As the Ultimate Fighting Championship continues to grow in popularity, it to is beginning to see its share of controversies.
The first controversy began with the knockout of Kimbo Slice. Slice was supposed to be the baddest man on the planet. After all, he was the YouTube superstar with the menacing glare who seemingly couldn’t be stopped. But the legend all came to a crashing end when an unknown named Seth Petruzelli TKOed Slice just 14 seconds into the fight. Immediately, cries of “FIX!” began filling the BankAtlantic Center where the fight took place. Ultimately, no evidence of a fix was ever uncovered, but suspicions mounted.
Next came UFC 94. The main event featured top welterweights and fierce opponents George St. Pierre and BJ Penn. A controversy arose during the fight as St. Pierre was seen having his back rubbed after having Vaseline applied to his face. St. Pierre went on to throttle Penn. For the remainder of the bout, Penn appeared listless and couldn’t seem to do anything to ward off St. Pierre. Penn later sent a formal request to the Nevada State Athletic Commission, asking them to investigate. In response to the controversy, the UFC has changed the rules so only official cut-men can enter the octagon to treat a fighter.
The latest controversy seems like something right out of the NFL. Lately, referees have been taking a lot of heat for early stoppages as well as allowing fights to go on for far too long. Even UFC president, Dana White has chimed in and has called recent referring to be simply atrocious.
The latest referee stoppages at UFC 96 have been well documented. However, the controversy really began at UFC 95 when welterweight and UFC newcomer Paulo Thiago knocked out UFC star Josh Koscheck midway through the first round. Koscheck argued that he was still conscious and able to defend himself. Thiago, a member of the MMA Sportswear company, Basthardt fight team, caught Koscheck with a vicious hook that sent his opponent sprawling to the mat. Clearly not wanting to harm his opponent any further, the Basthardt fighter took a step back, which allowed the referee to jump in and wave the fighter off. To some in London’s O2 Arena, it seemed as if the fight was called too soon. However, after reviewing the tape, Koscheck clearly didn’t have his senses and the fight was properly called off.
As the UFC continues to gain traction as a legitimate sport, new controversies are unavoidable. Lets just hope nothing happens to sink the new league.
By: Daniel Barry
About the Author:
The first controversy began with the knockout of Kimbo Slice. Slice was supposed to be the baddest man on the planet. After all, he was the YouTube superstar with the menacing glare who seemingly couldn’t be stopped. But the legend all came to a crashing end when an unknown named Seth Petruzelli TKOed Slice just 14 seconds into the fight. Immediately, cries of “FIX!” began filling the BankAtlantic Center where the fight took place. Ultimately, no evidence of a fix was ever uncovered, but suspicions mounted.
Next came UFC 94. The main event featured top welterweights and fierce opponents George St. Pierre and BJ Penn. A controversy arose during the fight as St. Pierre was seen having his back rubbed after having Vaseline applied to his face. St. Pierre went on to throttle Penn. For the remainder of the bout, Penn appeared listless and couldn’t seem to do anything to ward off St. Pierre. Penn later sent a formal request to the Nevada State Athletic Commission, asking them to investigate. In response to the controversy, the UFC has changed the rules so only official cut-men can enter the octagon to treat a fighter.
The latest controversy seems like something right out of the NFL. Lately, referees have been taking a lot of heat for early stoppages as well as allowing fights to go on for far too long. Even UFC president, Dana White has chimed in and has called recent referring to be simply atrocious.
The latest referee stoppages at UFC 96 have been well documented. However, the controversy really began at UFC 95 when welterweight and UFC newcomer Paulo Thiago knocked out UFC star Josh Koscheck midway through the first round. Koscheck argued that he was still conscious and able to defend himself. Thiago, a member of the MMA Sportswear company, Basthardt fight team, caught Koscheck with a vicious hook that sent his opponent sprawling to the mat. Clearly not wanting to harm his opponent any further, the Basthardt fighter took a step back, which allowed the referee to jump in and wave the fighter off. To some in London’s O2 Arena, it seemed as if the fight was called too soon. However, after reviewing the tape, Koscheck clearly didn’t have his senses and the fight was properly called off.
As the UFC continues to gain traction as a legitimate sport, new controversies are unavoidable. Lets just hope nothing happens to sink the new league.
By: Daniel Barry
About the Author:
In The Cage With The UFC
May 13th, 2009 by admin
UFC and MMA fights are held in a cage, which is an eight sided, chain linked reinforced, heavily padded structure called the Octagon. As the sport has grown in popularity over the years, rules and regulations, according strict regulations concerning the type of fight gear that a cage fighter can wear during a match. The Octagons unique shape and structure have become associated with the UFC brand name and the UFCs parent company, Zuffa. The Octagon is featured regularly on television and mentioned in the national media, adding to its brand recognition, so closely associated with the MMA and UFC in fact that it has become an iconic symbol of the sport since it was first featured in UFC events in 1993.
The UFC, or Ultimate Fighting Championship, is currently recognized as the largest MMA promotion worldwide, is headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada and owned by Zuffa LLC. The UFC began as a tournament to find the best fighters in the world, and was based on the Brazilian vale tudo fighting style.
Originally, it was known as a no holds barred fighting contest, which eventually led to accusations of human brutality. After criticism reduced the UFCs visibility was diminished by these accusations, the organization reformed itself and adapted strict, athletic commission sanctioned rules, remarketing itself as a legitimate sporting event.
This idea of a tournament geared towards finding the best world fighter was that of Art Davie, a Southern California based advertising executive who developed this concept while researching marital arts for a client. Davie went on to become the student of Rorion Gracie, a teacher of mixed martial arts. In 1992, Gracie, Davie, and John Milnus, a film director and screen writer, in addition to being a fellow Gracie student, developed a business plan to generate the initial capital required to start WOW Promotions in order to develop their tournament into a television franchise.
Fight gear for these events is restricted to regulation gloves and fight gear that includes only approved shorts, with no shoes or any type of foot covering allowed. Shirts, gis, and long pants, including gi pants, are also not allowed. The gloves are required because they enable fighters to increase the strength of their punches, while at the same time providing greater protection against injury and breakage.
In the early days, attire was unregulated, and many fighters opted for tight fitting athletic shorts or long, boxer trunks, and other wore tight wrestling suits and long pants. Royce Gracie, multi tournament champion, wore a jujitsu gi in all of his early UFC appearances. The regulations came after the move to take the UFC and the MMA fighting style into the mainstream.
By: Phoenix Delray
About the Author:
The UFC, or Ultimate Fighting Championship, is currently recognized as the largest MMA promotion worldwide, is headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada and owned by Zuffa LLC. The UFC began as a tournament to find the best fighters in the world, and was based on the Brazilian vale tudo fighting style.
Originally, it was known as a no holds barred fighting contest, which eventually led to accusations of human brutality. After criticism reduced the UFCs visibility was diminished by these accusations, the organization reformed itself and adapted strict, athletic commission sanctioned rules, remarketing itself as a legitimate sporting event.
This idea of a tournament geared towards finding the best world fighter was that of Art Davie, a Southern California based advertising executive who developed this concept while researching marital arts for a client. Davie went on to become the student of Rorion Gracie, a teacher of mixed martial arts. In 1992, Gracie, Davie, and John Milnus, a film director and screen writer, in addition to being a fellow Gracie student, developed a business plan to generate the initial capital required to start WOW Promotions in order to develop their tournament into a television franchise.
Fight gear for these events is restricted to regulation gloves and fight gear that includes only approved shorts, with no shoes or any type of foot covering allowed. Shirts, gis, and long pants, including gi pants, are also not allowed. The gloves are required because they enable fighters to increase the strength of their punches, while at the same time providing greater protection against injury and breakage.
In the early days, attire was unregulated, and many fighters opted for tight fitting athletic shorts or long, boxer trunks, and other wore tight wrestling suits and long pants. Royce Gracie, multi tournament champion, wore a jujitsu gi in all of his early UFC appearances. The regulations came after the move to take the UFC and the MMA fighting style into the mainstream.
By: Phoenix Delray
About the Author:
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