Future UFC Hall of Famers

Everyone who watches UFC should be familiar with the Joe Rogan tagline "here comes the future Hall of Famer..." Thus far, very few have managed to break into the UFC Hall of Fame, and rightly so; the sport is still very young and by nature a hall of fame should be an exclusive place to be. I don't want to come off as a fanboy - just look at the NFL where everytime a QB has one good season everyone is screaming for him to make the Hall of Fame (I'm a huge Eagles fan, but when I heard people crying out for McNabb to make the Hall of Fame I recoiled in disgust). So here goes - my list of Hall of Fame candidates...


Georges St Pierre

Come December 29th, GSP will have held the belt for four years and a record six title defences.One of his only two defeats is against Matt Hughes - someone who is already in the UFC Hall of Fame and has defeated every other 170lb champion there has ever been in the UFC. More than this though is Georges' complete athleticism and adaptablility - he has comprehensively outwrestled national champions. He is also one of the first UFC fighters to gain mainstream acceptance; testament to this is his Under Armour sponsorship, and many awards from television broadcasters and sports publications. Many will complain about his seeming reluctance to finish fights (I personally disagree), but the legacy he will leave behind is beyond argument


BJ Penn

There is no doubt that BJ Penn is not the fighter that he once was, nor can people look past the fractious relationship he seems to have had with the sport itself, but this aside the multiple division champion should not be overlooked by the Hall of Fame. He has done the most to bring BJJ to MMA since the Gracies themselves, an achievement in of itself. That being said, his crowning achievement is the championships at different divisions - something that so few others have done before him, and probably just as few will do after.


Anderson Silva

Won the title in only his second UFC fight, undefeated in his 13 fight UFC career, an ongoing title reign of over five years, a record breaking nine title defences...enough said.


Dana White

This may seem kinda like a silly choice, but when you look at the inclusion of Charles 'Mask' Lewis due to his contribution to MMA, it's impossible to overlook Dana White's contribution to MMA. I appreciate that a large part of the UFC's success is due to the financial injection from the Fertitta's - but this would have been wasted if they didn't have the right man running the company. Granted, he doesn't always say the right things, and granted many people have good reason for thinking he's a bit of a prick. But at the end of the day he took the UFC from a crumbling business, to the multi million dollar company it is today; bringing MMA as a sport along with it. Without Dana White the UFC wouldn't be what it is today, without the UFC then MMA would only be a fraction of what it is today


Tito Ortiz

One of the last members of 'the old guard' who are still fighting in the UFC today. A pioneer of Ground and Pound, an always polarising personality and a stalwart of ticket sales. Tito's scraps with Chuck, Shamrock and Belfort helped to shape the modern face of the UFC. Add to this a five defence title reign and his recent reconciliation with Dana White, and you've a got a fairly strong argument for his being included in the Hall of Fame


Honourable Mentions

Forrest Griffin - for the electrifying TUF finale that did more for the UFC's mainstream popularity than any other single event, and for being one of the most liked UFC fighters of all time

Matt Hamill - I appreciate that his fight record isn't exactly worthy of the Hall of Fame, but I'd like to think he'd be honoured in some way for opening the door to disabled MMA competitors. I think his is a truely inspirational story and I'd love for him to be honoured for it.

Frank Mir - Ok, this one's biased as he's one of my favourite fighters, but the multiple time heavyweight champion is one of the longest serving current fighters on the roster. If, as I hope, he gets the belt one more time, he should be more sure of a place in the Hall of Fame...

What we learned at UFC 137

The UFC still can't seem to come up with a Japanese star

Don't be fooled by the victory - Hioki's performance did nothing to win over fans, or draw a greater Japanese audience. No one is really sure why the former MMA capital of the world hasn't produced any marketable stars for the UFC, but to date none of the Japanese imports have really lived up to the billing


The sport has lost a true legend...

When it was announced that this would likely be Cro Cop's last fight, many fans were disappointed and rightly so. UFC purists don't know a huge amount about Cro Cop, and nor will they ever appreciate his greatness, but he did so much for the sport in the earlier years. I strongly believe he opened the door for kickboxers to transition to MMA, and also carried the European support of the sport almost single handedly in the earlier years. Many people, myself included, would have loved to see him KO Nelson with a left head kick...but I don't think many actually believed it would happen. Alas, it wasn't to be, and so we said goodbye to a legend in similarly disappointing circumstances as we said goodbye to Couture. Thanks for the memories Cro Cop


...But I think it has only lost one

I don't believe for a second that BJ has retired from MMA. I like to draw comparisons between him and Ronnie O'Sullivan. For those of you who don't know, Ronnie O'Sullivan is the greatest natural talent to ever pick up a snooker cue; he's also enigmatic, outspoken, temperamental...and has "retired" two or three times now. I'll be the first to write an article on BJ when he officially hangs them up, but I completely believe that once his swelling has gone down and he's had a chance to lick his wounds, we'll see him back in the octagon


GSP has piled more pressure on Silva than Sonnen ever could

Chael Sonnen has come closer to shattering the phenomenal streak of Anderson Silva than anyone else. Setting aside the Silva injury and the subsequent doping charge for Sonnen, quite a few people wanted to see the rematch (though I can see the argument that he lost and should have to wait his turn again). Following a comprehensive victory over Brian Stann, Sonnen launched a WWE-esque tirade against Silva who was sat cage side. He didn't react, he didn't respond...we didn't even hear from him for weeks. This prompted widespread abuse that he was scared of Sonnen - after all, there aren't many others in the title picture, and he has a free schedule for the foreseeable future. Roll on a few weeks, and Nick Diaz does the same thing to GSP in an arguably less disrespectful fashion. GSP was already booked for another fight but that very same night he demanded that he get to fight Diaz. Ironically his request has been granted to go ahead on the same weekend that Sonnen wanted to fight Silva. But fans and doubters alike of Anderson Silva are now left asking...why hasn't he done the same?!

Honey Badger Rash Guard Review

I am lucky enough to be one of the few people chosen to review a pre-production sample of the Honey Badger Rash Guard - a design that has come from the mind of BJJ uber-blogger Meerkatsu, and constructed by (not officially open for business yet) Armourtech; a custom clothing company owned by Tatami Fightwear.

When I first saw the rash guard on the internet I liked it. I know that there are plenty of critical opinions on the internet about the rash guard (mainly about the artwork), but I genuinely liked it and have been even more impressed since receiving it.

Things we learned from UFC 136

UFC was an excellent card - I'm even happier because I picked all the winners for the first time ever! Anyway, here goes...

Joe Lauzon is the real deal...
Joe Lauzon showed just how good he is, and how effective bjj can still be in the UFC; his systematic destruction of Melvin Guillard who had previously been on a tear served to show the doubters how good he is, and possibly made Dana's headache worse with regards to sorting out the company's most stacked division

Kenny Florian isn't...
When I look at Kenny Florian he reminds me of Katherine Heigl in 27 dresses - cruelly condemned to always be bridesmaid, never the bride. There's definitely something to be said for fighting in four weight classes, and being runner up in three of them. Though there's much more to be said for being a champion in one division. I don't know what's next for Florian, I'd joke that it's probably bantamweight, but after looking at his grotesque figure in featherweight that probably wouldn't be funny

Uneducated fans + inexperienced ref = bad combination
It's sometimes hard to ignore where people get the 'moron fan' stereotype for mma fans - fans who had been going berserk as a physically exhausted Leonard Garcia swung wildly in a manner that's reminiscent of a drunken brawl, booed equally loudly as Sonnen put on a grappling clinic on the floor. I'm the first person to become upset at inactivity on the ground, but Sonnen's sweeps and passes were world class! This would be forgivable however, if not for the inexperienced ref standing them up - unfairly presenting Stann with a chance to knock out Sonnen

Maybe pro wrestling theatrics have their place in mma?
Joe: would you like to tell us about the fight?
Chael: Anderson silva!...you totally suck!!!
Throw in a proposition whereby Sonnen wants the loser of the fight to "leave for good" and you have someone who this time last year was facing jail time for money laundering charges, and an indefinite suspension for testosterone abuse, that has possibly talked their way into the biggest fight in UFC history, on superbowl weekend no less!

Frankie Edgar's heart is unmatched
Ok, so maybe we learned that last time, but it was definitely confirmed last night. I challenge anyone to watch the first round of last night's main event, then immediately watch the fourth round (bearing in mind there's 10 minutes of highest level combat between them) and not be impressed...



So that's how I saw it. Disagree? Think there's anything I've missed? Join in the discussion on the Facebook page or below

ADCC 2011 Review

I want to start by saying that there aren't enough superlatives in the English language to describe how much I enjoyed the weekend; from the first morning that I was standing in the foyer and one of my heroes in the form of Andre Galvao casually strolled past me, followed shortly by a pack of Gracies; through all of the outstanding match ups; meeting the three fighters that I'd specifically brought pictures of to get signed (and they were all really nice, and down to earth); getting to try Acai for the first time; and finally running into one of the organisers at the airport per chance and getting to pose with an actual ADCC winners medal! (which has made me more determined to actually compete for one some day).

It's because of all these experiences, that writing a review would've been a mammoth task and so I've decided to do my review in the form of a mini awards ceremony (I'm sure the world's greatest grapplers would be pleased to find out that they've won a fictional award from little old me), but I personally felt like this would be the best way to do it. So here goes:

Vinny Magalhaes Composition

A composition I put together on photoshop of one of my grappling and MMA heroes - Vinny Magalhaes. I'm fairly happy with it as it's the first composition I've put together; might do a few more in future as I really enjoyed making it!

Highs and Lows

I think I've been putting this post off for a week or two due to the fact that it's utterly depressing...I injured my arm and won't be able to compete.

I figured that I would leave it a bit closer to the time to decide, and on Monday night I finally decided... that I couldn't compete. Two weeks ago at training I was practicing a throw with my partner but lost my balance and fell into it. Just as my full weight landed on my extended arm, my training partner landed on the back of my elbow, and the pain was excruciating - there was a loud click and I wholly believed that my arm was broken for a second or two after it happened.

Tatami Fightwear Estilo 2.0 Review

According to the Tatami website, the Estilo is a gi "that is built to the highest quality and craftsmanship but also with cutting edge style and detailing"...and they've got it spot on!

The first thing that I noticed about the Estilo is that it looks very nice. I'm a huge fan of contrast stitching; I think it just looks cool. Also, my favourite colour combination is black, red and white - it's no surprise then that I adore the style of the Black Estilo gi, with its red contrast stitching.

The UFC's hot potato

30 December 2006 is a significant date for the UFC...it's the last time that there was a consecutive defence of the Light Heavyweight title, by non other than the iceman himself. So nearly five years, and six champions later, the belt has not been defended more than once, and yet we are expected to believe that Jones will change all that...this blogger is not convinced.

When Rampage dispatched of Liddell, Liddell was rightly feared as one of the most elite strikers the UFC had ever seen with his devastating overhand right dropping opponents left, right and centre. It was expected that if Rampage could outstrike Liddell, what chance did any other contenders have? Well Forrest Griffin answered that question with a series of brutal leg and arm kicks, and took a lop-sided decision over Jackson

Hammer Time!

Sorry it's been so long since I posted - I picked up a bug at the start of the week and haven't done much except lie around and recover.

Weighed myself on Tuesday or Wednesday morning and I've lost another 3-4 lbs, but I don't expect that weight to stay off; I think some of it was lost through illness, so I'd expect it to go back on anyway, that and the fact that it's the first UFC in over a month tomorrow night so I'll be getting domino's and beer in to make a night of it :)

On the training front I didn't do any at the start of the week (due to the illness) however, something that I've been planning for a while finally came to fruition the other day...

The "King" has left the building...

So, three & a half years and one title defence later, Alistair Overeem's heavyweight Strikeforce reign has come to an end. Granted, the way in which he abdicated his thrown was arguably more eventful than his title reign. Far be it from me, a humble blogger, to disregard what someone has or hasn't achieved in their career, but I shall lay it out as I personally see it.

Many people have scrutinised the UFC's policy of not allowing their fighters to fight in other organisations, viewing it as Zuffa simply trying to exercise a stranglehold over the sport of mixed martial arts. However, following his success in winning the inaugural Strikeforce heavyweight championship, Overeem went for almost three years before fighting again for the organisation, in the meantime however he fought in a number of different kickboxing matches, but more than this, he fought in a number of mma fights for different organisations also. Now let's put this into perspective - setting aside the politics of Zuffa and her rivals. If the IBF boxing champion decided to carry on without defending his belt for almost three years, all the while he has been trying his hand at mma, and fighting every WBO contender who has challenged him, the boxing community would be in uproar about the legitimacy of his reign, and would demand that he be stripped of his title.

Something that can't be ignored too was his seeming reluctance to challenge genuine contenders; when the

What-er Weight?!

Well, the latest fitness kick has, to the best of my knowledge, lasted longer than any other that I've set upon before! Anyway, I've stuck to the treadmill at the gym and I'm already seeing some improvements - my average speed has increased, and I'm not finding it as hard as I was at first. Not to mention, I forgot to take my inhaler before my workout today and managed over two miles and still didn't feel like I was gonna collapse.

But more than this is the weight! There was a time, following a bout of seriousness illness, that I weighed less than eight stone (I was five foot ten inches tall at the time). I slowly built myself back up again in weight to eleven stone, but couldn't put on any more for a couple of years despite my best efforts. I kept trying though as I was determined to get to 12 stone. Eventually I got there, but shortly thereafter I was diagnosed with Asthma, stopped exercising, and the next 1-2 stone seemed to appear overnight...until now!

I've noticed massive gains in my fitness since starting Jujitsu - just ask my Sensei; I thought I was going to die during my first few sessions! But despite getting fitter I never really lost any weight (and I was skeptical of my girlfriend lovingly telling me that I was 'toning up' and that I was probably losing fat but gaining muscle). Back to the point; I decided that I was determined shift my belly in the process of preparing for this competition, so along with my regular exercise, I've been drinking one and a half to two litres of water a day. I weighed myself yesterday morning (same time as the previous week) and I've lost THREE OR FOUR POUNDS!!! I know that a lot of people lose large amounts of water weight when they begin on an exercise programme, but I don't think that's the case as I've been making sure to drink plenty of water.

I'm still enjoying the exercise, and enjoying the Demian Maia instructionals as much as ever; he makes things that you've never thought of before seem like common sense - and they are oh so effective (reviews to follow...eventually)

Until next time...

New TCG Logo

I've already posted this one on the Facebook page, but thought I'd get it on here too. Like I've said, if all goes to plan I want to start designing T-Shirts etc. and this would be the logo that I'd use. Some of you may have already noticed it being used as the watermark on my photos.

I Just need to get a few designs done that I'd be confident that plenty of people would be interested in buying; I know you lot will be queued up to pre-order them :) I'm working on a design at the minute that I'm actually feeling really confident about, and will put it out there to gather public opinion when I get it finished.

But back to the logo itself, I think it's a clever mix of the letters T, C and G (for 'the closed guard') and I also tried to come up with three words underneath that begin with said letters, and also epitomise the nature of a martial artist. Hope you all like it! Please feel free to comment in the box underneath, or on the facebook page

Hello elephant, I didn't here you come in...

Well...I don't think I've ever been to the gym four days in a row in my life...but I have now! The exercise is going great, and I've not felt this good in a long time. I've stuck with the treadmill and admittedly it's starting to grow on me. I decided to take it a bit easier on the treadmill today and after finishing my run early, decided to do some upper body work with weights, and that's when the elephant in the room caught my eye.

As I was preparing to improve my admittedly feeble upper body strength I looked across at the bench press and saw a guy whom I recognised. I've never formally met him, nor do I even know his name, but I have seen him around many times. The last time I saw him was probably 3 - 4 months ago and he looked entirely normal...but now?...he was almost as wide as he was tall. His arms were almost comical proportions relative to his height and covered in stretch marks, not to mention the steroid acne all over his upper back and neck.

Now I'm not trying to launch a Caio Terra style rant, but it still takes me by surprise when I see guys up close and personal who've been using it. Granted you regularly see it in the news and sports articles.

For me personally, it's an unworthy sacrifice - from what I can gather there are a massive amount of damaging side effects. I'd take my regular, if slightly disappointing physique, any day of the week. What are your thoughts? Comments below or on the Facebook page.

In the meantime I'm off to watch Demian Maia's "Science of Jiu Jitsu" - I absolutely love his style and instruction, and will probably get a review done for you all shortly. I did give Drysdale's instructional a go, but as much as I love him as a competitor, his style was just a bad fit for me. Until my next update...

Hayabusa Mizuchi Rash Guard Review

RRP: £39.99

Admittedly when I first bought this rash guard, it wasn’t because of the advanced sweat wicking technology, the added muscle endurance that you gain from the compression, or the antimicrobial coating that they use on the fibres; I bought it because it looks totally awesome. Luckily, it delivers on all of the sales talk promises too.

The rash guard is 91% polyester and 9% polymeric fibre. In terms of sizing, I scoured the internet looking for a size chart, and even emailed Hayabusa themselves, but to know avail. I took a chance and ordered the large which fits me like a glove (I'm six feet tall with a 43" inch chest - I hope this helps others judge the correct size).

The first time that I trained in the rash guard I was astounded by just how cool it kept my body; whilst my face, head and legs were as warm as usual, my torso was surprisingly cool. It was also a great fit; when it came to rolling my opponents found it impossible to gain a grip on it (I also prefer the short sleeved rash guards as having sweaty forearms really helps with slipping submissions onto opponents, and slipping out of their submissions). The rash guard wicks away sweat brilliantly, and I genuinely believe that my body being less sore and stiff than usual, the following day, was a result of the rash guard’s compression technology.

One major complement that I want to pay to Hayabusa is the stitching that they have used on the rash guard. I have fairly sensitive skin, and so I was worried when I saw the amount of seams on the rash guard that were going to be so tight against my skin. However, Hayabusa have done an incredible job at keeping the stitching flat so as to maximise the comfort of their rash guard.

The one criticism that I have of the rash guard is that after a long, hard session it can start to pinch at the armpits a little; caused by the material bunching up a little. However, this is fairly typical of a lot of compression style rash guards.

All things considered I think this is an excellent purchase. A little pricey, but this is to be expected when buying Hayabusa. The look, feel and performance of this rash guard are all excellent.

Day 1: I could really use a beer right about now

Normally I have jujitsu on a Monday night so I feel like I've actually done some exercise, but there was no class tonight, so I was gonna have to sort out my own exercise.

I had book reviews to get done today so I didn't actually get to the gym until roughly 25 minutes before they were due to close. I decided to put in twenty minutes on the treadmill (I detest treadmills!) in which time I managed a ten minute mile which I know isn't great, but I don't think it's terrible either. Normally when I get home from the gym, despite how ridiculous I know it is, I like to have a beer. However, due to the fact that I'm determined to get in shape, and spurred on by this bjj competition, I've decided to cut out the beer. I'm currently about 195lbs heavy (6 foot tall) so I'd say I'm chubby, but not ridiculously fat.

Gonna get to working on some technique tomorrow, and maybe a few drills. I'll keep you posted!

First competition!

So after a lot of back and forth I think that I've finally decided to go ahead with my first competition. It gives me exactly six weeks to get ready; with the help of GSP's Rushfit, Andre Galvao's drills and Demian Maia's science of jiujitsu. I will keep you all posted about how I'm progressing, and you never know, I may even have some photos of a nice shiny medal to show you by the end of it. At the end of the day, what's the worst that could happen?...

The TCG Pitbull

So here's the first of what I hope will be many pieces of art - I plan on designing logos and T-shirts etc. If all goes to plan I'll be getting some t-shirts designed and made, and will have them available for sale; that's the plan anyway...

Decided to give the TCG Pitbull a makeover - I know he's not perfect but I'm really pleased as it was my first attempt at using Illustrator. Many thanks go out to my friends in the art community for their advice during his creation. Let me know what you all think, and if you'd be interested in buying any t-shirts; I have some awesome ideas, just have to try and get them onto paper.

Andre Galvao's Drill to Win: 12 Months to Better Jiu Jitsu

RRP: £30.00

Andre Galvao’s grappling credentials are without question, so when you have the opportunity to learn even a small amount of what he has to offer, you should jump at the chance.

In ‘Drill to Win’ Galvao sets about giving readers a thorough understanding of the oft overlooked, but massively important, drilling in BJJ. First impressions of the book are that it is big, colourful and well constructed; this will take the abuse of being in and out of the gym bag, to and from class, with relative ease. A quick flick through the book shows that there are a huge amount of techniques, all backed up by beautiful illustrations and accurate instructions.

The book itself is very well written; it opens with a miniature, and refreshingly frank biography of Galvao and how he came to be the Jiu Jitsu phenomenon that he is today. It’s reassuring to know that someone who overcame poverty and chronic asthma became the multiple time BJJ world champion, and is now guiding you through your own journey.

The structure of the book is excellent. It begins with a comprehensive index (an often overlooked, but essential component) before starting into the structured drill program. The program itself is set out in days, weeks and months (as the title suggests, the book is meant to cover you for the next 12 months) with training taking place three to four days per week.

Galvao is realistic and honest when he informs the reader that the new drilling programme is not going to take the place of their usual routine, but rather, when used to supplement their routine they should see massive gains in their performance. As with all good programmes of this nature it highlights the need for improved diet; Galvao tells us that it is the foundation upon which the rest of his BJJ is formed. The book then sets about a course of effective drills, each chapter building on the skills developed in the last. Users can quite easily pick and choose drills to suit their specific needs, or to create their own circuit. However, to get the most use of the book readers should follow the book from cover to cover, in order.

In conclusion, the book is excellent and will become a valuable asset to any BJJ practitioner who follows it. The drills in the book are also substantially good for developing general health and fitness, alongside sport specific technique.

A very special thanks to the folks over at Victory Belt Publishing for sending me this copy to review.

GSP's Rushfit Feature

As I patiently wait for my copy of Drill to Win by Andre Galvao to arrive, that I will review, I have to think of something interesting to post in the meantime. I have decided that I will follow the GSP Rushfit program and keep you all informed of how I'm getting on, what I think of it etc. Having read some reviews of it there seems to be some pretty positive views of it - granted there is still an (understandably) large amount of sceptics who question the value of a home DVD program; but those who have actually tried the program seem to be impressed by it. I think keeping you all informed of how I'm doing also means that I'm now committed to it and can't just give up as I might have done otherwise! My first impressions of it are that it isn't as cheesy as many of the other home workouts out there, and seeing GSP perform to failure is definitely a reassuring sight that it can't be that bad.

That's all for now but I'll be sure to keep you updated


image copyright of gsprushfit.com

Bad Boy UFC 128 Shogun Walkout T-Shirt Review

RRP: £29.99

I came across the Shogun walkout Tee as I had been looking for some new MMA clothing, and it just happened to be during the run up to UFC 128. Generally, most of my MMA shirts are Tapout; I love the designs but am not entirely thrilled on the cut of them - I personally find them to be a little loose or baggy in the wrong places. However, I was looking for something a bit different and came across the Bad Boy shirt.

The Material

When the order arrived I checked the label (an old habit to make sure I've got the right size) and saw that it was only 37% cotton and 63% Polyester - I say only because I'm a 100% cotton man, and knew instantly that this shirt would be massively uncomfortable...or so I thought. I put the T-Shirt on and was massively impressed by how smooth and comfortable it was. I also wore it to an incredibly hot event that night and it kept me surprisingly cool.


Style

The artwork on the shirt is fantastic! The front is typical Bad Boy - a minimalist but eye catching design, and the back is simply brilliant. The design is very busy and has also been made to look distressed. I really like the green & yellow colours that appear on the shirt and I'm also a big fan of the little insignias on the sleeves. My favourite thing about the T-Shirt however is the cut of it - its snug around the arms, shoulders and chest (not too tight) but forgiving around the midriff (perfect for my physique).

Value

The shirt has been washed several times now and has not lost any of the colour in the design; impressive given that some of the design is black against a white material. The fact that it is printed using dye sublimation also means that the pattern won't crack like cheaper T-Shirts. It also isn't a bad price for an MMA shirt (especially compared to the likes of Affliction)

All in all this is a brilliant T-Shirt and I'd definitely buy something from Bad Boy again.