UFC Farce

After a few beers on Sunday Night (as you do!), I went home, put the kettle on and sat down ready to watch The Ultimate Fighting Championship on Bravo+1.

I'm probably mistaken, but I think it was UFC 67. There were a couple of 'ok' fights. But the final fight was between a guy called Tito Ortiz and I'm not sure of the other guys name.

Anyways, the fight wasn't really that good, no one seemed to get hurt really, and mostly they were just stuck on the floor trying to get some sort of advantage. Neither did. Three rounds I watched the same thing happen until it finally came down to points.

Although the fight wasn't that interesting, that's not what annoyed me. While the referee's were reaching their decision. This Tito Ortiz jumps out of the Octagon and starts parading through the crowd waving the Stars N Stripes followed by his clan. I mean it was obnoxious as it was not even obvious that he'd won (although he did, but only by a point I think). What's all that about?

And all the way through the fight, the Camera kept panning on to some other guy in the crowd, shaking his head and booing everytime this Tito hit his opponent. Then when it was decided that Ortiz had won. As he was making his speech etc. etc. This guy from the crowd climbed over the Octagon and started shouting and offering Tito out in a fight, then another guy started shouting out of the Octagon at someone else about fighting. Then there was someone else in the Octagon beckoning someone in for a fight. All it reminded me of was something out of the WWF. I mean, is it me, or is the UFC getting far too commercial and missing the point completley?

I mean it was a joke. I've not seen all (not even half) of all the UFC competitions. But I've seen a few of the early ones and they were so much better. I understand the rules have been interferred with to keep it legal. But is the showboating really necessary? Have any of you guys noticed this? Or did you catch it on Sunday (6th Feb)?

I dont watch it anymore it bores the arse of me! There will always be show boating in any scenario like that. But i do think it is going down the WWF pattern... Fight club on eurosport is pretty good.

hey, when's that on? I've never seen it! Is it similar sort of thing?

Its on every now and then once / twice a month they show all different types of MA on it K1 , Thai , Kick, Karate etc etc its pretty good quite a few repeats but still good to watch. Normally on a monday night i think but i dont have Sky TV anymore so can't remember for sure! :-D

Sl i aint got sky no more either since i moved house. Back to 4 channels again how very exciting!;-)

Nathan MMA is the same as any other sporting event. At times you get a world class show and at other times my granny could put on a better show! Thats reality for you. The likes of boxing is no different.

Regarding the Tito Ortiz parade i must inform you that he is a complete wanker and disrespects everyone he comes up against which is very sad, boring and bad for the sport. The guy he was fighting was a Carlson Gracie BJJ blackbelt and good boxer 'Vitor Belfort' a Brazilian guy.

It's shocking Dave isn't it! If i paid my TV licence id complain! Ah well gets me off the couch and too training.... Even had a dabble at the Judo the other week.

Yeah, people like him are a waste of time. I read an interview with him today after making that post. He's a proper tit.

Yeah, four channels are pants, but to be fair, so's Sky TV, especially at £45 a month. And I have to pay £6 a week so I can watch the mighty Norwich City take a beating as Sky Sports never has them as a main event, I mean, who want's to watch Manchester United and Arsenal battle it out when they could watch Norwich City V West Brom (the cream of the Premier League)? I mean I ask ya!

The films are repeated constantly, and they're always on on a Saturday night when everyone's gone out for the night. They play the same episode of Only Fools and Horses daily (which was funny the first 10 times, but the Batman and Robin episdode is starting to grate on me). Then you've got the delight that is BBCfour, ITV2 (which should be called the RealityTV channel). Or if Reality TV shows and American Idol don't take your fancy, there's always HALLMARK and The History Channel to sharpen your senses. The only thing that makes Sky worth the money is the Freeview on the the Playboy channel...

Or you can always watch Tito Ortiz ruin a perfectly good episode of UFC.

You drank too much coffee today Nathan? :-D

Nathan, first of all, lovin' the pic! :-)

As for Tito, he's obviously the entertainer, you'll get them in any 'sport'.

Seems you got out the wrong side of the bed this morning! First you slate the UFC, then Sky! Who you got your sights on next? :-))

Think it needs to be a bit bigger Nathan..

First off the show was quality!, Tito is actually a nice guy (yes i've met him), he just knows how to market himself and the UFC and American public love a character.

Vitor being a Carlson Gracie Black Belt is questionable in the least.

I was gutted Terrell lost.

Yeah, sorry about that guys. Wasn't in the best of moods yesterday. Looks like Sky and the UFC got it. Yeah, the pic won't go any bigger or it'll look pants. Might try and draw one later following the same theme. Then again, I might not :-p

Why questionable Andy?

Do you prefer this avator?

True, UFC has become a joke. I saw the same pay-per-view with Tito's little gay antics and all the talk set up at the end. It was pretty damn pathetic, but this is how all the major sporting events go today. Similar things like this happen in boxing all the time. Go all the way back to Mahammad Ali and it proves that throughout history the fight promoters have no shame in raising the hype. It's nothing new.
There is an alternative though. Pride Fc by far has better fighters and doesn't have all the shit talking, "I'd like to thank my sponsers (dun da dun da da.....), casino betting odds, Don King hyped up, comercialized buncha bs that UFC has become involved in. Heck, most of their fighters can't even speak English.
UFC though has some fighters that are good and have respect for the sport and that is why I still watch it. Try watching the fight between Randy Cotour and Pedro Rizzo. Those two guys gave probably the greatest fight in history. There was no prematch smack talk, just two guys beating the crap out of each other, bleading all over the place, and never quitting. Those are the real greats.
The next UFC is going to have Randy Cotour against Chuck Liddel. Hopefully Randy Cotour with all his experience will go about spanking both Chuck Liddel and Tito Ortiz (those guys that were argueing) for a second time to prove that they both are a joke and stay on the fight cards only because they can talk smack to keep the fans excited.

I watched the early UFC and found them interesting. As time goes by, to me, UFC seems to be imitating Pro-wrestling in hype - I have no interest in watching such primitive idiots, even if they do have skill.

At the end of the day the more hype the fighters can generate for the sport the better it is for that sports profile. Tito doing what he does is a good thing it got you talking about it didnt it... There will always be showmanship ....

Andy you say you have trained with him. Where and when did you train with him ?

Better for the sport's profile, you say - whatever that means. What often happens when certain sports are 'marketed' is that the new 'trend' pushes away those that initially were for it.

Basically, the new 'trend' will atract those not interested in martial arts, rather, those interested in watching two musclebound giants pummeling each other. The original trend was followed almost exclusively by martial artists, who of course, are few in number, never have much money and are therefore not worth targeting from a marketing point of view.

In the beginning it was interesting because the fighters were all so different (Karate / Judo / Kung-fu / Jujutsu) - now, they all look / train the same. Boring, and not the original purpose.

Yeah. I do see you point. I think in UFC 2 there was a NINJA there. And although he got his ass whooped, was still cool as fcuk.

Randy Couture is going to beat both of those guys again and I would be surprised if he lost in the light heavyweight division any time soon because so far he has used every little advantage and capitalized to dismantle all opponents. There are no fighters left to challenge him and the whole time you've never seen him show anything, but respect in there. He doesn't need any gimmick to show he's a champion....