Beyond Green: What does a Black Belt mean?

My nephews Jim & Pat, Me and Rob Lynn training Judo

I was doing a random search on Judo when I came across this post at judoforum.com - it got me to thinking about something that has been on my mind for awhile.

"I started my Judo journey at 52 years of age. Two years on I am a 4 kyu and hope to grade to my green belt early next year. Under BJC rules to progress beyond green I would need to fight. I train twice a week minimum and am as fit and strong as I can be but at my age I am concerned that I haven't got the endurance or speed to battle with younger guns eager for that darker belt.
Maybe green would be an honorable point to stop grading — I could still train, practice Kata and enjoy my judo. Or should I take a deep breath, rei and see what happens? Any thoughts? Thanks."


For the longest time I had been a green belt, and after being promoted a couple ranks - only to go back to Green Belt after turning 18 years old - I was given the title of "Green Belt Forever", a nickname which I hated.

I can empathize with the author of that post. The current guidelines in Judo make it very hard for non-competitors to earn ranks above Green Belt. I feel they wrongly focus on what is called "elite" competitors (meaning Olympic-level) and seem not to care about the vast majority of people who practice Judo. Add to that the way Judo tries to punish anyone using techniques even remotely resembling Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu,

and you get a state of decline in Judo. With the popularity of MMA gaining mass appeal world-wide, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is becoming the more popular form of grappling/submissions martial arts these days instead of Judo.

So, for someone like myself, who is not so young anymore & not among the "elite" competitors  - and so I needed to sit down to figure out what I wanted to do in terms of advancing in Judo. It had been a long time since I had stopped training regularly, but I am fortunate enough to have family involved with martial arts training - and they are highly regarded when it comes to Judo.

I began learning Judo from my former brother-in-law when I was very young. I had lost my oldest Sister when I was about 11 years old, and it wasn't much longer before I also lost my Father to cancer. I was angry at the world & needed some guidance/discipline. I was also a little awkward when it came to sports and lacked confidence in general. My Mother figured martial arts might help, and so she asked if I could be taken on as a student by my brother-in-law.

I liked the training, and the activity helped channel my energy in a more positive way. After awhile we went from just family training in a small garage to formal classes to the general public in an elementary school gym. Eventually this graduated to the point where we went to competitions. That was something that took a few tournaments for me to catch on about competing... but once I started placing highly the trophies became a regular part of a Sunday for me. My senior year in high school I won gold at both the Junior Olympics for Pennsylvania and the Keystone State Games. (held in State College at Penn State University)

Winning was very nice, but it wasn't all about that for me. Judo came into my life at a time when I was in chaos emotionally & physically awkward. It gave me discipline, athleticism, a sense of purpose, and a feeling of calmness that I desperately needed. Winning trophies & medals was just icing on top of the cake. Judo as a whole was a great treasure that I am grateful for having discovered.

I moved away from the immediate area where I grew up, and for a time I lost out on what Judo has to offer. I am grateful that I am close enough to my family members who continued training that I can get back involved with the martial art. It is my goal to earn my Black Belt in Judo, as well as begin training in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Mixed Martial Arts. My nephews run a gym that operates out out a sports complex associated with a local promoter for MMA. Currently the rules here in Pennsylvania don't allow for someone my age (over 36) to compete in MMA, but I'm hoping that this changes so that I, and many others, can realize our dream of competing by fighting in MMA. (more on that later)

For me, earning my Black Belt isn't the end of anything. I feel that is just the beginning. I always thought that it becomes a starting point where a student realizes that they know some things, but still have a way too. There is always more to learn, and I don't ever want to get to a point where I feel like I have nothing left to learn. I would love to be in a position where I could teach others - so that I can hopefully give the gift to others that was given to me so long ago. I feel I owe a debt to others because of how this gift that is Judo/martial arts was given to me. I have so much in my life because of martial arts & Judo, and I would be honored if someone else has their life effected in a positive way as mine has been, because of what I would be able to teach them.

Getting back to the original post from jodoforum.com - even though I am not as young as I was when I regularly competed... I feel I am young enough that I could compete successfully in both Judo as well as BJJ/grappling-submissions competitions. I realize that I'm not in the best shape for achieving this goal, and that is why I need to get back into a regular training regimen, and that has many benefits. It would mean spending more time with my family & certain friends involved with martial arts & combat sports. It would also mean I will be getting in better shape & lose some pounds I really need to be gone. It could lead to me achieving my goal of earning my Black Belt in Judo - which could lead to me teaching others. And ultimately, I want it to result in me being able to compete in Judo competitions as well as BJJ tournaments and other grappling/submissions events.

I do not feel that age should be a limitation. I refuse to let it be for me in this area, and I want to see how far I can progress in Judo, BJJ, and grappling-submissions training. I do not want to become complacent, or to ever be satisfied with what I have accomplished. I always want to be in a position where I want to be learning something new. I want to be better than I am today... and I always want that to be a goal for each new day - to keep growing, evolving, and to always keep striving to do more, be better than I am at this moment in time.


In a perfect world I would love to compete in MMA, even if it would be just one time. Unfortunately, Pennsylvania doesn't allow people over 36 to compete in MMA, or at least not currently. In order for me to fight on an MMA event fight card, the rules need to change - and that is why another goal of mine is to petition the Pennsylvania State Athletic Commission to have the age restriction removed so that anyone who is medically cleared by a doctor who wishes to compete in MMA can be allowed to fight. For that, I asked a very good friend - Albert Cameron (co-host of the MMA RunDown) - because he has had experience & success in petitioning the Althletic Commission in the past. Albert was cited by MMA Weekly as being instrumental in MMA being allowed in Pennsylvania, a process that began with him petitioning the Athletic Commission to include MMA among the sports accepted in Pennsylvania.


It is my goal to get that aspect of the rules changed, and I will not only need Albert's help - but that of many many others who would sign the petition so that hopefully the Pennsylvania State Athletic commission would take the request serious enough to remove the age restriction. I hope that someday very soon I can call upon people to sign the petition to help make my dream a reality - I feel it would be the goal of many, many others not just myself... and I hope that people will join me in my attempt to achieve this goal.


As this aspect of my story progresses I will update you all, and hopefully many of you will help me with this. And as my progress in other areas of my personal story that I have chronicled in this article advances I will keep you posted - and I hope one day not so far off from now to both be able to proudly announce that I have earned my Black Belt in judo as well as successfully getting the rules changed so that I can compete in MMA here in Pennsylvania.

I look forward to those moments with anticipation, and I hope that you all will support me in these efforts. Thank You!!!

Me with nephews Pat, Jim & Jason at Complete Devastation 4

Me with members of the Dignan/Brumbaugh MMA Fight Team & Rob Lynn

10 Questions with Drew & Albert

Drew Shannon & Albert Cameron

Sundays at noon on ABC23 (WATM)

Greg Sirb - Pennsylvania State Athletic Commission

If you've attended a Complete Devastation event, you may have seen the cage announcer Drew Shannon and his commentary co-host Albert Cameron cageside. Or maybe you've seen them on the weekly show on MMA in Central Pennsylvania the MMA RunDown. If you haven't seen the show... what are you waiting for? The MMA RunDown airs Sundays at noon on ABC23 WATM - or check out their YouTube channel. http://www.youtube.com/user/MMArundown .  You can email questions to the show at hosts@themmarundown.com or send Albert questions via Twitter @CameronRundown (http://www.twitter.com/CameronRundown) You can check out the show's Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/mma.rundown and read Albert's blog at http://albertcameron.wordpress.com/

If you haven't seen the show... please check it out. If you have, please send the info & links to your friends. These guys really support local MMA and they make watching the Complete Devastation dvds better to watch with their commentary. I've had the pleasure of seeing them do what they do first-hand... and I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to interview them both. So here's 10 Questions With Drew & Albert of the MMA RunDown.

1. What is your job title and what do you do at GoTime Promotions / Complete Devastation MMA?

Drew: I am the co-host of The MMA Rundown, as well as ring announcer and commentator for Complete Devastation MMA. I also do voice over work for the Complete Devastation ads on TV and Radio, as well as Secure Connect.

Albert: It’s hard to say about a job title in particular; things are pretty liberal when it comes to the production of the MMA stuff. I have been identified as a producer and co-host for the MMA Rundown and Commentator / Play-by-Play for the Complete Devastation events.


2. How did you get involved with commentating/announcing MMA events?

Drew: While I was working for 105.9 QWiK Rock (where I am still employed as On-Air Talent from 10A-3P and Production Director), I met Jason Davis and Mike Kessling, who were interested in advertising a local pro wrestling event in State College (AON Pro Wrestling). I was asked to be a guest ring announcer for the evening, and I jumped at the chance to do it! It's always been a dream of mine. I was then asked to make a guest appearance on the AON Rundown, their local TV show. From that appearance, I was asked to be part of the group, starting as a "bad guy" commentator / ring announcer, transferring to a "good guy" and eventually my character became the General Manager of the organization. It was while I was with AON that Jason and Mike started Complete Devastation MMA, and they asked if I would be the official ring announcer. I was honored to have been asked and agreed. I have been announcing fighters inside the cage ever since!

Albert: By being consistently in the right place at the right time. Drew has been my mentor and friend for a long time and has taught me everything that I know about broadcasting. Drew was ring announcer and general manager for a professional wrestling outfit and so I’d go to these wrestling shows to support him and his endeavors. The guys who ran the wrestling show (Go Time) are also very nice and asked if I wanted to run a camera for the show that night. One show turned to several and as Complete Devastation 2 was drawing close, I was asked if I wanted to shoot for that. I am not a small man by any stretch and I climbed up on a tree stand to get the crucial angles. When I said to the Production Director about my concerns of breaking the stand he said “Those things are built for hunters and hunters aren’t small people.” The guys at Go Time knew I had an affinity for Pro Wrestling but had no idea that I was so into MMA than when I was talking to Dan Severn at the after show reception. I was calling the fights the very next event and have done so since.


3. How did you get involved with co-hosting a show on MMA?

Drew: After AON folded, I was approached by Jason and Mike to do an MMA show. To be honest, I didn't really know much about MMA. I've seen only a handful of PPV events, and done the ring/cage announcing for CDMMA a few times. But when they said I'd be co-hosting with Albert Cameron, who I met years ago when he interned for Magnum Broadcasting (who owns 105.9 QWiK Rock), I knew that I was in good hands as far as learning a few things...which is ironic, because at one time I taught him about the radio business, and know here he is later teaching me about MMA!

Albert: There are times when I feel like I’ve found my circle of friends and colleagues a couple seasons in to a hit TV show; the plans for the MMA Rundown were in motion before I stepped in to the spot. I can remember Drew saying to Mike (Kessling; Production Director at the time) “I’ll do the show, but Albert has the knowledge of MMA” and that’s just Drew being the friend that he is. Drew got me my first gig on the radio, Drew helped me get in to the pro wrestling stuff and Drew was very instrumental in getting me on the Rundown and behind the mic. The original plan (I think) was to have the MMA Rundown be a segment on the TV show “Project Fitness” and then Project Fitness was going to be a segment on the Rundown; that all molded and changed into what we have now.


4. What was your favorite match-up at a Complete Devastation event?

Drew: I would have to say Darrell Horcher vs George Sheppard. It was a great fight with a surprising outcome! Now Horcher is on his way with a win at Bellator 77! It just goes to show that anything can happen!

Albert: Good Lord, there are so many. Each fight for Complete Devastation has made me felt a different way. Clark Young vs. Adam Smith-Urbany made me feel fear (namely because there was so much mass flying around the cage I thought I was going to go flying from the tree stand); Darrell Horcher vs. George Sheppard was a jaw dropper; Corey Hill vs. Darryl Madison was electric; Tyler Combs vs. Andrew Osborne sticks out. It’s so hard to pin down one fight because everyone who steps into that cage fights like they are fighting for their lives, they don’t leave anything to regret. I have seen a lot of fights and I have seen some great fighters give away a fight because they are being cautious; I have yet to see that at Complete Devastation.


5. What was your best experience for a Complete Devastation event?

Drew: I honestly have to say that every event has been a great experience! To work with people who have become my best friends, as well as witness great MMA action and talk with not only the future of the business, but the legends as well, has been an experience that I could have only dreamed of years ago! If I had to single out one experience, it would be meeting and hanging out with Dan "The Beast" Severn. We got a chance to talk with him after Complete Devastation 2 at the after party. He told us a few stories about his MMA career, as well as about his time in pro wrestling. It was something I will remember for years to come!

Albert: Probably meeting Dan Severn or Corey Hill. I’ve seen these guys fight on TV and they are in this echelon of warriors that have ascended people you may meet on the street. In my head, Dan Severn was this unstoppable monster that couldn’t be reasoned with. I had seen him knee Oleg Taktarov in the head like Oleg owed him money. So, I meet Dan Severn with the impression of watching his fight with Taktarov and I don’t think I’d ever been more wrong in my life. Dan was humble and appreciative of the support. Corey Hill was the same way, I’d say to people “Hey, have you met my friend Corey?” and Corey played right along with it, and he too thanked me for my support. I am amazed by high-profile athletes that are like that. I don’t watch MMA to get thanked for supporting my favorite athletes, in fact I think all of the guys who fight should be thanked for doing what they love to entertain folks. To anyone who has stepped in the cage and reading this now: Thank You!


6. What was the first MMA fight you remember seeing?

Drew: I remember a UFC PPV back in the early days of the sport. I couldn't tell you who fought on it (I think Ken Shamrock was on the card), but I remember my friends and I were in awe! It was totally different from what we were used to, as we were all wrestling fans.

Albert: Dave Beneteau vs. Asbel Cancio at UFC 5: Return of the Beast. I was really into Jean Claude Van Damme movies like “Bloodsport,” “Lionheart” and “The Quest.” So I’m cruising the Martial Arts section of the video store and come across “The Ultimate Fighting Championship.” Style vs. Style, it was going to be a real live Bloodsport Tournament!!! …except, it wasn’t. I will whole-heartedly admit that because I didn’t know about the ground game, I didn’t understand it and initially I didn’t like it. I was the prototype fan who didn’t understand the ground game and essentially hated it. I grew to love the ground game after I wrestled in high school for a year; now I had a grasp on the grappling concept and it became clear to me.


7. What was your favorite MMA fight of all time?

Drew: To be honest, only having seen a few fights on PPV and the rest at Complete Devastation MMA, I'm going to have to go back to Horcher vs Sheppard at CDMMA 5. The knockout of Sheppard came from out of nowhere and I think it was instrumental in propelling Horcher into the world of Bellator. Plus, the crowd was ELECTRIC after it happened! I don't think anyone was sitting down it the building!

Albert: Griffin vs. Bonnar. I have said it quite a few times, the greatest fight in MMA History. That fight, on the Ultimate Fighter Finale, put our sport back on the map. I have yet to watch a fight that comes close.


8. What match-up would you like to see at a Complete Devastation event?

Drew: The match up I'd like to see is actually going down in a few weeks...Charlie Gathers vs Tyler Saltsman at CDMMA 7 in Altoona. These guys have a genuine dislike for each other and is has come to a point where these guys have to get inside the cage and duke it out! As I've gone on record saying before, this won't just be a fight, this is going to be a war! I can't wait to see what happens!

Albert: Jason Royer vs. Jesse Busfield 2. The ending to that fight (Royer got cut and they stopped the fight between rounds) didn’t sit well with me and I think both guys were really primed to put on a great fight. That ending left me without closure and I truly feel that they should throw down again. Recently I’ve heard that the fight won’t come together right now because of one thing or another, but that’s for managers and promoters to hash out.


9. What MMA celebrity/fighter would you like to see at an upcoming Complete Devastation event?

Drew: I'd have to say Ken Shamrock...mostly because I want my buddy Albert Cameron to be happy. Maybe Jessica Alba and Mila Kunis as guest ring girls...although they're not MMA celebrities, but who cares? It's Jessica Alba and Mila Kunis!

Albert: “The World’s Most Dangerous Man” Ken Shamrock. I watched Ken when he was in the WWF and he reminded me what I liked about the UFC and really solidified my fandom. Even if Ken doesn’t fight, just to have him in town to do a clinic or an appearance would be awesome.


10. Who would you most like to have as an interview subject/guest for the MMA RunDown?  

Drew: Any fighter or promoter who wants to get their promotion out to the masses and who wants their fights shown on TV. We want to get local MMA noticed on The MMA Rundown and we'd like to see any fighter or promoter come onto the show! As far as legends, I think I'd like to have the chance to talk with Dan Severn again for the show. He was a great guy and I think we'd fill the entire half hour with some of the stories he has to tell.

Albert: That’s a tough question. Ideally, I’d like to talk to everyone. To sit down and talk to? Don “The Predator” Frye. Don used to do this segment for the IFL called “Dear Don” and I thought it was genius. I think Don and I would have a good chemistry and dynamic; he’d be the hard-ass and I’d be the free spirit kind of thing. I’d like to get him on the “What’s Eating Albert Cameron?” segment. That would be fun!

Drew & Albert being interviewed by Leanna Meiser of MMA Cage Night at CD7

Drew & Albert on the MMA RunDown

Drew interviewing Sean Sherk at Complete Devastation 4

Albert, Drew, Mike Kessling & Jason Davis

 

Charlie Gathers on MMA RunDown

Cody "Lenny" Karlheim on MMA RunDown

A "True" Champion

It's not often I agree with Dana White, but on this subject I agree with him a thousand percent.

Basically Dana White said that a "true" champion will fight anyone, anytime to prove they are the best.


This was said sometime after after the press conference announcing the cancellation of UFC 151 - and I'm sure Jon Jones not wanting to fight Chael Sonnen on 8 days notice was most likely on his mind when that comment was made.

Other things Dana White says on this subject are "Do you want to be an F'n fighter?" and "You're either a fighter or you're NOT."  I agree with with the comment & the question as well. You're a professional fighter, you get paid to FIGHT. If you don't want to fight anyone, anytime... then go get a job flipping burgers somewhere - because you're not a fighter, you're a poser!

Now, I'm not trying to pick on anyone, even though I'm going to mention some specific fighters. This is my opinion I'll be expressing. I'm not a fighter, so I may not have the optimal point of view, but I feel that it shouldn't matter on this topic.

I'll repeat what Dana White said, paraphrasing to fit my thoughts on what a "true" champion really is how they should behave.

To me, if you are a professional fighter (actually if you are a fighter - because amateurs should strive to act professional even as an ammy, because that is what they wish to do for a living) you should be prepared to fight.

If you are a champion, then you should be willing to fight ANYONE, ANYTIME to PROVE you are the BEST in your division! How can the title mean anything worth respecting if you pick and choose who you want to fight and who you don't want to fight?

And for someone like Jon Jones, a fighter who is talked about as one of the greatest of all time, that is added pressure to prove that this is a valid claim... and when you factor in how the UFC is marketing Jones as one of the faces of the organization - how can Jon Jones act like a primadonna and basically run scared from a fighter like Chael Sonnen?

For someone like Jones, who claims to have the "Warrior Spirit" it is baffling how he can posture like this about a new opponent 8 days from the scheduled date of his fight. If he is so good, and if his camp is the number 1 camp in the business - how can they not be able to get a gameplan in place and have Jones prepared in that time period?

What is the worth of Jackson/Winklejohn gym if they can't get someone being call the best pound-for-pound fighter, and possibly the greatest of all time ready to fight an opponent with 8 days notice - especially when you consider that Jones has been training for a fight for weeks, if not months?


I'm tough on Jones, but that's because he puts himself out there as this "Warrior" who is head and shoulders above the competition. If he hadn't done this I wouldn't be making this entry with him as a subject.


But another person I feel isn't exhibiting the behavior of what I feel a true champion does - is Anderson Silva.

Silva is another fighter some people call the "greatest of all time" and the "best pound-for-pound fighter" - yet Anderson likes to pussyfoot around with who he will and won't fight.

Silva & his people have gone on record saying that he will "never" fight Jon Jones. This is the statement from a coward in my opinion. You can't dabble fighting in the Light Heavyweight division by fighting people like James Irwin, Forrest Griffin & Stephan Bonnar - but not want to fight the other guy people are saying is the thing you also claim to be.

If you're the best, then PROVE it! Don't run and hide from the other guy people say are the best, fight that person & see who of you two really deserves being considered the G.O.A.T. and/or the best pound-for-pound fighter in the business. Don't run from this fighter and make excuses. Anderson Silva obviously walks around near, or above, 205 pounds. So he can't cry about Jones being much heavier than he is. And Silva can't claim he's ad a disadvantage by fighting someone from another weight division, especially when you consider he is totally willing to fight the best fighter in the division below his Middleweight - Georges St-Pierre at 170 pounds.

Personally I think G.S.P. will destroy Silva, even with the weight disadvantage. Supposedly this "super fight" will happen at 180 pounds, which still favors Silva a bit. But I feel Anderson doesn't want any part of Jones because he KNOWS he can't beat him.m... and losing a fight would all but crush his claim to being the best ever as well as the best pound-for-pound fighter.

For the record, I feel Joe Rogan is totally wrong about Silva. In a promo for UFC 153 Rogan says that "there is no dispute" to Silva being the greatest of all time, or that he's the best pound-for-pound fighter. Problem with that is that Rogan himself contradicted this claim a month prior, when he was basically saying the same thing about Jones for his title fight at the PPV event prior to Silva's on October 13th.

Rogan has zero credibility on the subject. He's an employee of ZUFFA. He's a trained monkey doing whatever they want him to, a puppet that will say whatever they pay him to say, regardless of whether the facts back up whatever propaganda he is spewing for Zuffa & the UFC at any particular moment. Rogan is a company man, and he says whatever hypes the fight the best to make money for Dana White & the Fertitta brothers.

But never mind that. Rogan isn't talking facts, he's expressing an opinion. It may be his, it may have been given to him... but it's just an opinion. Technically there's no empirical way to quantify who the best pound-for-pound fighter is anymore in MMA. To do that you need to get rid of the weight divisions & have the alleged contenders fight it out & see who comes out on top. But that won't ever happen, especially if Silva refuses to fight Jones. Jones, St-Pierre & Silva are three contenders, if they all fight each other you would see who legitimately could claim that distinction. Until/if that ever happens, it's just people expressing what they feel is right, and that's always a biased opinion based on intangible factors.

A similar thing happens when you try to figure out who the greatest of all time is. You can't put a fighter like Royce Gracie against a Jon Jones or an Anderson Silva now & have it mean anything. Fighters from different eras can't compete on a level playground, except in a computer simulation... and that's just for pretend. So, until Doc Brown brings the DeLorean around to put the candidates for G.O.A.T. together... it's a moot point.

You can have your opinions on both subjects, but opinion isn't fact.


But, back to the main topic.


Another aspect of what a "true" champion is not trying to take the "easy" fight. There are no easy fights unless you try to fight someone so below you're level of talent, and what does that gain you? If you are a champion, how does fighting the people at the bottom of the rankings make your title belt mean anything worth having? (it doesn't) Unless you constantly face the best opponents in your weight division you do not deserve to be called the champion. You are a paper tiger, and not to be respected or feared.

 The only real "easy" fight is the one you make through being totally prepared for your opponent. Do everything you can by the book & with honor and dignity... and defeat your opponent quickly. Or by leaving not doubt in anyone's mind that you dominated the fight. If you want an "easy" fight, then train hard & finish your opponent before any chance can be had for you to lose. Don't try to get a fight with someone beneath your abilities, that is not how a "real" fighter would act, let alone a "true" champion.


Another aspect of what I feel a true fighter and champion is are the subject of banned substances & weight cutting. It really falls into the overall topic of cheating, but I'll address them separately.


Only a coward or someone who knows they can't win fairly would sink to the level of trying to get an advantage ("fair" or "unfair") over their opponent. A true fighter and/or champion will face their opponent with dignity & honor, not hide behind banned substances like steroids, or skirt the limits of what is legal & not legal by using TRT/HRT. Testosterone Replacement Therapy & Hormone Replacement Therapy by anyone other than those documented to have a legitimate medical need is a coward & a cheater in my opinion. And there are far too many people who have the "legitimate" doctor certified testosterone treatments - again, in my opinion. I feel that someone like Randy Couture MIGHT have a case, but (allegedly) he didn't use TRT/HRT when he was an active fighter... so if he didn't use it, then fighters in their 20's and early 30's have no business crying to get this exemption - which I consider to be legalized cheating.

Similar in concept is the fighters who walk around several pounds above the weight they fight at. It's one thing if you are 5 - 10 pounds above the limit of your weight division, but to be 10, 20 or more above is cowardly & just a pathetic way to get an unfair advantage over your opponent.

People will say "It's not against the rules" and that is true. It's not against the rules to eat broken glass either, but who would try that as a gameplan for success? Just because you CAN do something doesn't mean you SHOULD do something.

Brock Lesnar supposedly walked around close to 300 pounds, but would cut weight to make the 265 limit. He fought Randy Couture (who was close to 220 pounds for the fight) and by fight time he had about 80 pounds on the champion. Where is the honor in that? How does that make a fair matchup? I know Couture agreed to the fight, but that's some bullshit to not have a Super Heavyweight division.

I say the weigh-ins should be the day of the event, not the day before. This would make fighters compete in the division closest to their walk around weight, and I feel that blood/urine testing the day or week prior as well as immediately after the fight for ALL fighters will help prevent people using banned substances, or abusing allowed substances.

It's not perfect, but this helps level the playing field - and weeds the cheaters out from those trying to compete honestly and to the best of their natural abilities.


Here's something fighters that have to cut weight and their coaches don't think about.

If you have to cut weight, that means most of that final week before they fight is spent focusing on cutting the weight, not on other (more important) aspects of the fight at hand. If you're worrying about weight, you're not spending time better used on evaluating the video of your opponent to see what they do wrong. You're not trying to examine where you could do better based on your previous fights. You're not working on your cardio, or your strength, or your speed. You are devoting almost every moment on cutting the weight, and everything else suffers because of that.

You are punishing your body unnecessarily. You are making yourself miserable, and weakening your system... you are basically doing your opponent's job for him before the fight even starts.

All for some imagined advantage you think you'll have over the other guy... when if you fought at a weight closer to your everyday weight you could be doing things that final week of training camp that would increase your chances of winning on the night of the fight. Your head would be clearer, your body would be stronger, you would be peaking at the right moment instead of coming in at a questionable amount of readiness. 

But if you didn't try to get that advantage & just fought with honor & dignity, acting like the professional you are supposed to be - you'd be giving yourself a better chance than if you would by whatever you may or may not gain from trying to take a shortcut of fighting in a division so below your normal weight.



To sum things up...

Don't be a coward or a cheater. If you claim to be a fighter, then you will fight when the promotion you work for asks you to, against whoever they put in front of you. You won't try to get a weight advantage, or use substances not in your system naturally.  You'll behave with dignity & honor, as a professional fighter and a mixed martial artist.


And if you are a champion who wants to be taken seriously & be respected for your accomplishment of being the best in your division - you'll fight anyone, anytime... not try to pick & choose who you'll fight.

And don't try to say you're the best ever or the best of anyone regardless of weight if you run from someone that wants to fight you. Be a man (or a woman if you're a female fighter) and take on all comers to your title. have the belt mean something people can respect by proving you deserve to be at the very top.

If you can't do that, then why do you bother to pretend to be a fighter?


And if you're a member of the media, or a promotion, or even a fan... don't enable the cowards & primadonnas who have a belt, but don't act like a true champion should. Doing that makes you part of the problem, not part of the solution. Things won't change until that behavior is stopped.


It's like Dana White says, "You're either a fighter or you're NOT" - so the question is, "Do you want to be an F'n fighter"? If so then FIGHT!!

Support Local MMA

If you are a fan of the UFC, Strikeforce, Bellator, One FC, INVICTA FC, King of the Cage, XFC, Titan Fighting Championship, MFC, Heiwa DREAM, M-1 Global, etc. Then you really need to be supporting local/regional MMA events!

Without these local & regional promotions you don't have national & international MMA. The stars of tomorrow can be seen at these local events - this is a perfect opportunity to see them before they hit the bigger organizations.

If you like watching MMA on TV... then just wait until you get to see it LIVE at a local or regional event! It is a truly entertaining & exciting night... and by missing one UFC pay-per-view and instead attending a local show you are making an impact on the local MMA scene.

If you have friends who train at a local gym and fight for a local promotion... then you need to be attending those events to support your friends. Buying a ticket to a local event and purchasing merchandise sold there helps make the event more successful, and that means the promoter is more likely to have events in your area. That means your friends have more opportunities to fight so their carrer can develop. Tell your friends about your experience at the event & try to get more people to attend the next one. Successful events mean more events which means more fighters get to fight for spectators/friends/family.

If your friends are sponsored by a company, visit that company's website & buy their merchandise. This allows the company to increase sponsorships with existing fighters they sponsor as well as being able to sponsor more fighters. Tell your friends about the companies that sponsor your friends who fight. Help your friend out by getting more exposure for them and their sponsors. Getting the word out makes events more succesful, allows sponsors to keep sponsoring more fighters and advances the career of the fighters fighting in these local events.


No matter where you are, there is most likely a promotion that holds MMA events either in your immediate area, or relatively close by. If you look around you can find MMA events or BJJ/submissions/grappling competitions that you can attend. Every time you do this you support the local combat sports scene... and this helps the scene to flourish.


Supporting local fighters and promoters helps the entire system. By supporting local events the fighters get to fight more fights, which  means their career will develop and they can possibly graduate from being an amateur to being a professional MMA fighter. Having more experience allows them to be available for better opportunities in promotions that are regional or even national... which eventually could lead to a local fighter getting a contract to fight for a national/international MMA promotion like the UFC, Strikeforce, Bellator, KOTC. You can't get to the big show without putting in the time at the smaller shows, and people supporting the local/regional shows is how a fighter gets from point A to point B. Supporting local/regional promotions means there will be more events in your area, as well as better and bigger named fighters getting to fight on the fight cards. It's a domino effect working in reverse - success at the lower level flows upward... for fighters & promotions.

If you are a fan of MMA, then do your part by supporting local MMA.!!