One thing I miss about the old days of MMA was the martial arts purists who claimed that kung fu/taekwondo/karate/other very specific martial art that they trained in was better than MMA, only they couldn’t prove it because their styles were too deadly/illegal/would make your heart explode inside your chest. Good thing this feud has erupted between Iron Ring’s “Maoshan” and Nick “The Goat” Thompson.
The above video is an answer to Thompson’s challenge. What I’d like us to focus on here is how lazily and predictably done it is. You find this out right away when they refer to Thompson as “The Bitch Goat”. Really? The guy gives you a head start by being nicknamed “The Goat” and the best thing you can think of is to add the word bitch?
I also wonder about Maoshan’s assertions that a) most MMA fighters are, like Thompson, hopelessly unskilled, and b) he can’t participate in the challenge match because he lives in the hood and doesn’t have $40,000.
I’m no economist, but I’d think that if I were a poor person who knew beyond all doubt that I was a better fighter than the losers making money as MMA fighters (except Rampage and Anderson Silva), I might do whatever it took to tone down my deadly killing moves just enough to make some cash as a fighter. Then again, I guess once your body is a killing machine, as this guy’s clearly is, there’s just no turning it off.
According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, the 5/27 episode did a 0.6 (517,000 viewers). This signifies a leveling off trend after seeing the ratings dip recently.
It’s late on a Tuesday and there’s a few things going on out there, so here’s a novel-like round-up from the day to keep you busy. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll say WTF?!
— Butterbean is fighting in the YAMMA debut on April 11th against Gary Goodridge. Exciting, no? But what inquiring minds want to know is what are the Round Mound’s plans after that? Answer: he wants to fight Kimbo! I’m not joking. He said it in an interview with FightHype that posted today. But according to the Bean, Kimbo’s people want no piece of his brand of ferociousness:
“They don’t want to fight me, I hit too hard! Kimbo doesn’t want to fight anybody that can knock him out and I’m the man that can do it. Kimbo doesn’t want to fight anybody that can hit and I can definitely hit.”
Butterbean also says he can take Kimbo’s punches. Sadly, this is a fight that could actually happen and no one — real MMAers, at least — wants to see it. Place your bets now: does Butterbean last longer than Tank Abbott did?
— Speaking of YAMMA, 5oz ‘o Pain is saying that Ricco Rodriguez and Alexey Oleinik will be stepping in as replacements in the 8-dude heavyweight tourney for the outfit’s debut event.
Two unnamed fighters originally slated for YAMMA’s eight-man single-night heavyweight tournament have been scratched from the card for unspecified reasons. However, when contacted by ProElite.com (SamCaplan.ProElite.com), Nick Lembo, the legal counsel for the New Jersey Athletic Control Board, indicated that YAMMA has submitted the names of two potential replacements.
Addict Ricco and Red Devil Club member Oleinik have been reportedly submitted as the fill-ins.
— The ratings for “Iron Ring” are — wait for it — pretty damn solid. Once again, I’m not joking. MMAPayout has the numbers:
Iron Ring was the fourth highest rated series premiere in BET history. Despite an 11:00PM post prime time slot, the program posted a 20% increase in viewers over its lead-in. As a result, BET has moved the series to 10:30PM starting with tonight’s episode. The series will now follow BET’s highest rated series, College Hill.
Who knew the ratings would be this good? Only one way to push it through the roof would be to throw Tyler Perry and his deal with the devil into the mix. Next on tap, there will be three fights in tonight’s installment. No rap war is scheduled. (Props: BloodyElbow)
One of the Iron Ring coaches, Novell G. Bell, said about the type of fighter he is looking for: ”I’m looking for cats to knock cats out.”
Sounds awesome to me.
+1 for Krazy Horse Bennett, Ocala Florida, represent.
Rapper “TI” sounds like a complete idiot, bragging about how he’s never lost a fight and his face has never been touched (sounds like someone who has never been in a real fight) and then says he is a “master of submissions.”
Whether the show is good for the sport or not, you can bet I’ll be watching, it should be highly krunk (aka entertaining). Did I say +1 for Li’l Jon yet? YEAAAAHHH!
Shonie Carter vs. Li’l Jon for the World Championship Pimp Chalice.
TEAM HEADBUSTERS by armbar.
So far in the first episode, I think I’ve heard the words “know what i sayin?” approximately 84 times. Know what i’m sayin?
I’M SO HOOD! I Wear My Pants Below My Waist, And I Never Dance When I’m In This Place, Cause You And Your Man Is Plannin To Hate (I’M SO HOOD!), And I Got These Golds Up In My Mouth, If You Get Closer To My House, Then You Know What I’m Talking Bout, I”M OUT THE HOOD!
Damn, the first episode is over and there was no fights, just short clips, so -1 for that. I wanted to see some cats get knocked out.
Oh good, here comes episode #2, maybe someone will get KTFO this time. Man, these so-called MMA “experts” seem kinda shady, I’m not convinced this dude “Novell G. Bell” is all he thinks he is.
On the plus side, some of the rappers at ringside are making bets on who the first fighter to be hospitalized will be, so this does have the potential of being the greatest MMA show ever.
First fight starts, its obviously heavily edited, but you can hear rapper “TI” yelling at his fighter to “watch out for the triangle!” when there is no triangle attempt in sight.
Oh damn, I saw Wes Sims in line for tryouts, I think he just cost this show all its legitimacy. Tune in next week for more.
(Bennett’s bringin’ the Krazy to BET tomorrow night.)
It’s tomorrow night, Ladies and Gents. I’m referring, of course, to BET’s “Iron Ring” which kicks off its debut show at 11 p.m. (ET). MMAPayout has a solid rundown of the show, being described as a mix of TUF and the IFL with a twist. The twist being hip hop celebrity types owning the teams. The show is thirty minutes, but the debut will be two back-to-back joints.
Here’s what MP is saying:
The one hour premier episode (two thirty minute episodes combined) focuses largely on the celebrity owners and their coaches. The show has a gritty feel provided by low key production and locations as well as a strong hip hop influence. The opening scenes looks more like the rawness of fight club than the spectacle of major MMA. Whether this will be the case once the actual competition begins remains to be seen, but the product definitely has a distinctive feel, unlike any other MMA production. Street Certified may be a more appropriate title for the series than it was for EliteXC’s previous offering.
There are six teams with fighters reppin’ lightweight - 170 lbs by “Iron Ring” terms - middleweight, and the heavies. Jamie Foxx’s pal, Rashon Kahn, will be the token speech-maker. Chuck “Krazy Horse” Bennett and Shonie Carter are two of the coaches and the other four are Roberto Traven, Abdul Mutakabbir, Jermaine Andre, and Novell G. Bell. WTF? you might be asking, so we have the scoop on those dudes after the jump.
Whether the show is good for the sport or not, you can bet I’ll be watching, it should be highly krunk (aka entertaining). Did I say +1 for Li’l Jon yet? YEAAAAHHH!