Bernard Hopkins compares MMA to a gay porno, not a sport

On 02.23.10, In MMA, by admin

In this video Bernard Hopkins shares his feelings about mixed martial arts (MMA) and the UFC, and definitely doesn’t hold anything back, insisting that men should not be watching MMA. He states that MMA is not a sport, and compares it to a gay porno movie. Hopkins even admits that he would feel “suspect” [possibly gay] if he were to purchase a ticket to an MMA event.

“Everybody is different. I don’t want to watch two grown men wrestling with panties on. I’m from the hood, we don’t play that. To me, I’m not buying a ticket to watch two grown men with panties on, sweating, [with] nuts in their face. That’s not me. To compare that to boxing is ludicrous. It’s a porno. It’s an entertainment porno,” Hopkins said. “I’m not wrestling a guy with panties on and his nuts in my face, and they call that a sport.”

Hopkins also said that he would have no problem with MMA if the audience were primarily female, but it bothers him that groups of men could get together to watch the sport.

“I’m not criticizing people for what kind of entertainment they like. I think most of those people have chains and masks in their closets. There is something out there for everybody. I can understand if 90% of women were going to those things but I can’t understand a grown man sitting there with a couple of guys watching two grown men with panties on, sweating. That’s just my opinion. It’s not a good look,” Hopkins said.

5 year old Rocco Luciano armbar’s to win gold

On 02.23.10, In Brazilian jiu-jitsu, MMA, by admin

This is a video of 5 year old Rocco Luciano, who is the son of legendary Brazilian Jiu-jitsu (BJJ) master Cleber Luciano. Rocco wins gold by submitting 2 opponents via armbar at the 13th Copa Pacifica De Jiu-jitsu.

Cleber is set to be a coach for Tito Ortiz’s team on season 11 of The Ultimate Fighter.

Renzo Gracie – MMA gloves cause brain damage

On 02.23.10, In MMA, by admin

In this interview Renzo Gracie talks about the difference between modern day MMA and the old school Vale Tudo style of the sport. In terms of overall brain damage sustained in an MMA fight, Renzo thinks the more wild, no holds barred fights were ultimately safer for both fighters, and explains why.

Renzo also mentions his up coming fight with Matt Hughes at UFC 112, which takes place on April 10th in Abu Dhabi.

Fedor Emelianenko shopping drunk?

On 02.23.10, In MMA, by admin

Fedor and a friend hit the vodka, then the floor. Great MMA downtime.

Victory for Cain Velasquez at UFC 110. Can he take Brock?

On 02.23.10, In MMA, by admin

Cain Velasquez stopping Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira at UFC 110 on Saturday at the Acer Arena in Sydney, Australia, was a welcomed surprise.

I don’t think that Nogueira is done like many are speculating. He put up a great fight against Couture, but what happened Saturday wasn’t simply a case of getting caught, he was outclassed. The speed and power at Cain possesses is simply unreal. I think Nogueira still has his place at heavyweight, but I think we need to see another fight or two before we’re able to tell exactly where at place is.

I haven’t really been a fan of Cain before that fight, I’m not sure why, but it probably had something to do with so much hype in his abilities. He proved myself, and a lot of other people, wrong that night, winning with a spectacular KO against Nogueira. And not just a single shot, well executed combinations.

So let’s think long-term for Cain. Can he really take out Brock Lesnar?

Brock Lesnar is very unique, he bulldozes you. As we saw in the Cain vs. Kongo fight, shots can and will land on Cain, especially with the type of size and power that Brock possesses. The question is, can Cain withstand it and keep moving forward? He’ll really have to put on some size and look to control the fight like the Couture vs. Brock match; otherwise Brock will simply take him down and hammer his head into the mat.

Do I think Cain can take out Brock?

Mir had Brock rocked in their latest fight, and then Brock immediately went for the takedown when hurt. I don’t think Brock could deal with landed combinations executed by Cain, and pressuring Brock could really be the most effective strategy – don’t let him get momentum.

And don’t get caught by those gorilla arms.

Olympic Bar Push Punch

On 02.17.10, In MMA Workout, by admin

Okay, so a lot of people have been asking, “How do I increase my punching power?”

There are a lot of different ways, but the most common seems to be the Olympic bar push punch. Not only does this add power to your punches, it also develops your core, as you have to it for balance. Okay, here we go.

Grab the barbell below the plate. You’re trying to mimic an actual punch here, and holding it too high will simulate an unrealistic punch. Also, make sure you’re positioning in your punching stance. This will allow you to generate the power need, and it will add to the overall functionality of the punch. You need to have enough weight on there to make it difficult, but keep an eye on your form, otherwise you’ll be wasting time and energy. A mirror or spotter is good for this. And, as always, you should treat this as an explosive exercise, hammering out that bar!

The Routine

3x sets
15 reps per set
Do both arms, then begin the new set (15x each arm)
Rest for 1.5-2 minutes

Here’s an example. The guy does a good job, but it’s hard to tell if his stance is off, it sort of looks like it. Also, really focus on using that hip movement when you extend, and don’t let your arm lock at full extension. Good luck!

Vitor Belfort out of UFC 112 title fight with Anderson Silva due to shoulder injury

On 02.11.10, In MMA, by admin

Damn. Well, it looks like Vitor Belfort won’t be fighting Anderson Silva at UFC 112 due to a shoulder injury. Dammit! It’s not confirmed yet, but we all know how MMA rumours go, unless they come from Frank Mir or Tito Ortiz. Guess we all should keep an eye out on Twitter accounts for legitimate updates.

So now the question is: what the hell is the UFC going to do? That was a big fight, right?

The ideal scenario would obviously be Sonnen at 185, but that won’t happen, he’s hurt, suspended without contact and still needs training time – especially for an opponent like Silva.

Here’s an idea: Silva comes up to 205 again to fight Randy Couture. Couture has expressed interest in this fight before, and really, he has nothing to lose. I really can’t believe that this guy isn’t slowing down! People talk trash on his technique and ability to hold people against the cage, but seriously, *no one* else has done that to Brock Lesnar.

Randy also has pretty sick wrestling and I’m confident he could close the gap with Silva and take him down. I’m not sure he could do major damage down there, but it would be interesting to see. Randy’s boxing is also improving a LOT. He won’t stand and keep his head still like a lot of Silva’s opponents, but he could definitely be knocked out or eat a few knees if he kept it standing.

If the UFC *really* wanted to mix it up, they’d throw Rua into the mix! I’m not sure he’d take the fight being a former Chute Boxe fighter, and also risking his title shot, but his team’s game plan for Black House member Lyoto Machida was pretty spot on. I think they could really come up with something good for Silva at 205.

I’ll be keeping an eye on this and will post the new matchup when it’s announced.

The MMA Rebirth

On 02.09.10, In MMA Workout, by admin

Well, well, well, it’s that time again. Not necessarily the time to restart blogging, but the time to restart training.

It’s been about four and a half months since I’ve trained mixed martial arts, primarily due to school, lack of time, and money. I thought I may have lost the desire for awhile, interests change, and so do priorities.

So, why am I getting back into it *now*?

A few different reasons.

One, I love to compete. I haven’t done anything formal in terms of MMA competition yet (sort of hard seeing how amateur and pro MMA competition is illegal in Ontario), but even hard sparring and testing your limits can give you that rush that nothing else seems to provide. I’m hoping to enter some local Brazilian Jiu-jitsu competitions later this year here in Toronto.

Two, I have an athletic gift. I have a naturally large build and great cardio. I remember George St-Pierre stating recently that he was considering trying out for the Canadian Olympic freestyle wrestling team. Why? Because he can, and his mentality was that he wanted to live life with no regrets, no what-ifs. Who knows if he will, he’s already accomplished a lot. And so here I am, pursuing that what-if scenario, testing my limits and seeing where it takes me.

There are few steps that I need to take prior to getting back into training, and it’s mainly general fitness and cardio. This isn’t so much for the Brazilian Jiu-jitsu class that I’ll be taking, but it’s focused on Muay Thai. Anyone that’s trained in Muay Thai, or watched the training, knows that it can get pretty heated and tough – which is great, I just want to be able to perform.

Anyway, back to the fitness thing.

I’m running 3 kilometres twice a day, which doesn’t take long, but it’s primarily to get my lungs used to sucking wind. It’s winter here in Canada and a bit chilly, so the burning definitely hits the mental part of it.

So I’m doing some HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) for my cardio, which is two minutes of jogging followed by one minute of sprinting, then repeating the process. The idea here is to simulate the type of breathing that I’ll be doing while on the bags or in the ring. Running for 45 minutes won’t give me the explosion that I’ll need. Later on I’ll be adding some anaerobic exercises to promote explosive strength, speed, and power. The idea is to balance the two, as aerobic exercise is significant after two minutes, helping the muscles recover.

I’m also doing some functional strength training, but I’ll get into that in another post, and I’ll throw in some dietary stuff later on, too.

I’m aiming to start training next week, so I’ll be hitting this routine pretty hard, I’ll keep you updated on the progress!

MMA Gloves – Punch Your Way to Victory

On 12.15.09, In MMA Gloves, by admin

Punching your opponent is a very common tactic in martial arts of almost any kind. A well placed punch is often good enough to put your opponent out for some time. Karate, taekwondo and muay thai, all rely on punches for damaging one’s adversary. So, what protects your hands from the force of the punch when you squarely hit an opponent’s jaw? The answer is – gloves.

Gloves play a very important role in contact sports of all kinds, more so in hardcore martial arts. Gloves protect your knuckles, fingers and wrists from the impact damage you might have incurred if you had punched someone with bare hands. In practice sessions or championships, these also protect your opponent from the impact of your punch. The gloves reduce actual damage dealt by the punches, making your opponent feel only the concussive force dished out by your knuckles. Thus when you were gloves, you are more likely to knock out your opponent than to injure him/her much.

Some points should be kept in mind when buying gloves for contact sports. These factors ensure comfort and safety when using the gloves. Let’s have a look at the anatomy of a pair of gloves.

Knuckle guard – This is obviously the most important portion in a glove. If a pair of gloves does not guard your knuckles, it’s no use wearing those. You might as well fight barehanded. Knuckle guard covers your knuckles completely. This portion absorbs the majority of the force of the punch. Suffice to say, it must be very durable. This portion may be made of leather or polystyrene, but it always has a layer of foam on the inside to prevent chafing.

Palm cover – This portion is essential for martial arts with open palm strikes, like some subdivisions of karate. This portion must be made of durable yet flexible material, because your palm will invariably stretch laterally when you hit with it.

Wrist guard – A good pair of gloves will provide support to your wrists to prevent injury during a fisticuff. The wrist guard portion of a good pair of gloves is always made of tough material with a layer of foam on the inside. This prevents the wrist from getting twisted to awkward angles and suffering an injury.

These three portions are always present in a good pair of gloves. Keep these points in mind and check before you buy gloves for your martial arts practice.

3 Killer MMA Workout Tips

On 12.14.09, In MMA Workout, by admin

Strength and conditioning for MMA is an evolving science, getting more detailed as the popularity of the UFC and mixed-martial arts grows. Like all sports, MMA athletes must dedicate themselves to workouts that will take them to the highest level of physical fitness possible.

To make sure you’re achieving your full potential as a fighter, make sure you utilize these 3 MMA workout tips in your strength and conditioning program.

Tip #1 – Follow a Program

If you’re not following a program, you could simply be spinning your wheels. The worst thing you can do is go to the gym and say to yourself, “OK, now that I’m here, what am I going to do?”

If you’re serious about being an MMA fighter, then you must have a strength and conditioning program that’s laid out for at least the 8 weeks leading up to your fight. If you don’t have a fight lined up, then you must think about what you need to improve and focus on those aspects of your game.

Tip #2 – Maximize your Efficiency in the Weight Room

As a mixed-martial artist, you’ve got to train jiu-jitsu, boxing, kickboxing, muay thai, wrestling, and put them all together into MMA at the very LEAST. This doesn’t leave you a ton of time to work on strength.

So you’ve got to get the most bang for your buck in the little time that you do have.

In your strength program, you can do so by training full body workouts focused on movement patterns. Think squat, lunge, deadlift, push, pull, and twist instead of chest, biceps, quads, hams, back, etc.

Hitting the full body with different movement patterns two days a week will allow you to make progress in your routine without over training. Here’s an example of a 2 day split:

Day 1: Reverse lunge – Bench press – Woodchop – Arnold press – Reverse Curl
Day 2: Squat – Chinup – Romanian deadlift – 1-arm row – Skull crusher

You could do these workouts on Monday and Thursday to develop your strength and power.

The repetition range you use will depend on your goals, if it’s muscular endurance, then choose 10-12 reps, if you’re going for pure strength, you can get down to 3-5 reps. A good balance is between 7-8 reps per set. The lower the reps and heavier the weight, the more rest you generally want to take.

TIp #3 – Use a Medicine Ball for Conditioning Circuits

By far the best tool for developing MMA specific power is the medicine ball, since you can throw the ball as hard and fast as you can in rotational movements that heavily involve the core. Integrating the medicine ball will allow you to develop knockout power with your strikes, as well as explosive take down ability.

Exercises like the side toss and chop toss will have you (and your opponents and sparring partners) feeling a difference after only a few weeks.

Unfortunately, many people do these exercises completely wrong, in terms of reps, weight, and form.