MMA, Boxing, BJJ & Wrestling Fans

Anyone else into combat sports? Right now is a great time in boxing, wrestling, kick boxing, karate, BJJ, Muay Thai, and mma with many other crossover athletes becoming successful in different disciplines.

Ufc 309 predictions?
fury/usyk prediction?

Surprised this thread didn’t get more traction given the popularity of combat sports these days.

I’ve been taking a self-imposed multi-year hiatus from watching mma. The amount of time I used to spend watching old cards was a bit unhealthy. The upside is that I didn’t miss a single pick for 18 months 2016-2017. The downside is I don’t gamble.  

Thoughts about tonight’s farce? Win/win for the boxers. Lose/lose for boxing. God, what I wouldn’t give for a return of the contests we saw in the 80s and early 90s. Yes, I started watching boxing in kindergarten. Doesn’t everyone?

If Tyson has enjoyed this process, I predict a draw or disqualification (doesn’t matter whom), as all three outcomes set up a sensational!, once-in-a-lifetime! rematch. If Tyson’s content with his $20M purse, Paul wins.

Long shot is they set up a 1-1 trilogy for the classic grudge match, but I can’t figure out who needs to win tonight to induce interest in a second match. My present very tentative thought is that if Paul wins narrowly, Tyson could say ring rust and underestimating Paul got the best of him and vow to train harder than ever to exact his revenge.

One thing’s for sure—they will protect Tyson. If he takes actual damage to the head, I will promptly follow up with this comment: I don’t know a damn thing about boxing, or, very likely, anything else.

I’m hoping Tyson beats the brakes off paul, not out of dislike for Jake or anything, I just hope Iron Mike comes out strong. My fear is like you said Tyson could be content with his 20 and looking at it that way. Haha I really hope this doesn’t become a trilogy!

who you got tomorrow night? Johnny bones or steipe?? 

ZT G wrote:

I’m hoping Tyson beats the brakes off paul, not out of dislike for Jake or anything, I just hope Iron Mike comes out strong. My fear is like you said Tyson could be content with his 20 and looking at it that way. Haha I really hope this doesn’t become a trilogy!

who you got tomorrow night? Johnny bones or steipe?? 

It’s unwise to discount a puncher’s chance, especially as you move up the weight classes. Stipe has as good a chance as anyone to connect, even now.

Having said that, I’d be very, very surprised if Jones doesn’t win handily.

This fight would have held real intrigue five years ago. Now it’s little more than a payday.

I suspect a snooze fest with both fighters showing up sluggish and relatively unfit.

Yeah I agree, you can never count anyone out in the ufc. Ultimately I think I’m kinda ready to see Jones retire. Kinda just gives me the weird teachers pet vibes now haha. The ufc has a lot of new great talent stepping into the spotlight right now too so I think the transition would be pretty smooth in the division. 

ZT G wrote:

Anyone else into combat sports? Right now is a great time in boxing, wrestling, kick boxing, karate, BJJ, Muay Thai, and mma with many other crossover athletes becoming successful in different disciplines.

Ufc 309 predictions?
fury/usyk prediction?

    Started jiujitsu at militia MMA in East Ridge. Believe it or not I find it helpful for climbing. Jiujitsu being the "gentle art" is still an ass kicking with plenty of tweaks. But it's a whole world of engagement and puts violence in perspective from a relatively safe context of fun and camaraderie. 

    I've done a few boxing classes but no sparring. Last time I sparred anyone I got concussed about 13 years ago if I had to guess. Boxing classes are good but the warm ups were arduous. Muay Thai seems to be the most popular at my gym but I haven't tried it yet.

That’s sweet! I would love to get back into a gym. 2 brain surgery’s and tons of metal don’t really allow for it anymore tho. MT seems to really be growing in the US right now. 

Interesting last weekend with the Paul/Tyson match up and Johnny bones essentially ragdolling an old man 

really interested in the emmit/Lopez match up for 311

Agree or disagree 

Wow. Talk surfaces between Paul & Mayweather.

Was this storyline built or is Floyd in need of another check??

ZT G wrote:

Anyone else into combat sports?

I oscillate every few months between “this is the most entertaining and gladiator sh*t I’ve seen” too “this is some horrible CTE and brain damage and I can’t stand it.”

Apparently there’s quite a big intersection between rock climbers and MMA/BJJ practitioners among the canadians.

It's almost all rigged for $ and impossible to take seriously anymore. Tyson should have beat the kid from the internet, especially if he was allowed an uppercut,  which he wasn't.  Dumb money making BS IMO,  buy into it and you become a dupe 

M M wrote:

It's almost all rigged for $ and impossible to take seriously anymore. 

Just boxing or combat sports at large?

Redacted Redactberg wrote:

I oscillate every few months between “this is the most entertaining and gladiator sh*t I’ve seen” too “this is some horrible CTE and brain damage and I can’t stand it.”

Apparently there’s quite a big intersection between rock climbers and MMA/BJJ practitioners among the canadians.

They say boxing is the worst culprit for that due to the focus on the head.

I love watching and am always so thankful I’m not in the ring/octagon/etc. lol

ZT G wrote:

They say boxing is the worst culprit for that due to the focus on the head.

I love watching and am always so thankful I’m not in the ring/octagon/etc. lol

   Biggest problem in boxing for head trauma is the structure of the sport. In MMA if you get your bell rung hard enough to knock you down, most of the time the fight's over. In boxing you get 10 seconds to stand back up. Allowing a fighter to recover enough to continue to more punishment. Leading to swelling in the brain which gives the ring a markedly higher mortality rate than an octagon. Deaths that have occurred are usually later after the fact. 

   Your brain floats in your skull with a little tolerance around it. So boxing gloves don't protect what's in your head. They help protect from cuts, broken teeth and knuckles. But they don't "cushion" the blow as far as concussion. If your brain gets rocked enough to it swelling to fill that space, you die. I'm no fighter but I've been concussed sparring and felt fine after the fact while continuing to get drunk. So if anyone ever wonders what my deal is, that's my alibi...

Garry falls, earning his first loss, while Shavkat remains undefeated!

Hot dawg!! 

I started training in a Hawaiian style of Jujitsu at 18 as a freshmen in college. I can't freaking believe that was 20 years ago   . I was consistent for about 12 years and taught kid and adult classes until I moved out of town. I concurrently trained and competed in Judo and a combative style of Kenpo/Muay Thai receiving instructor ranks in both. 

One weekend I joined my friend at a climbing gym and decided i needed to buy shoes that same day. My days quickly ended up being, carpenter from 7:30-3:30, kenpo from 5:30-7:30, Judo from 7:30-9:30, and then climbing gym from 9:45 till close (10:30ish). That was 3 days a week with teaching Jujitsu every other day. Those were the freaking days!

Once i moved out of town, I ended up solely focusing on climbing but all those years definitely helped with staying calm and keeping a level head when up on the walls!

I don’t watch those religiously but am decently trained; smatterings of judo aikido kickboxing and boxing, with a much heavier course of bjj and Muay Thai/mma. Just getting into Krav now. I found it’s an easy way to tip your head into the same flow state as climbing on lead at your limit; same headspace kicks in (pun intended) when sparring or rolling. 

I did no-gi Bjj for a good while and dabbled in striking/mma (was pretty irregular with training and I'm an engineer so I'm not looking repeated CTEs). I swapped it for climbing, as I definitely don't have time for both. I miss the physical challenge but I don't miss the nearly constant injuries. The writing was on the wall. I've seen so many knee and shoulder injuries. My neck creaks, I most likely have sciatic nerve issues, I completely dislocated my thumb, I've broken a rib, intermittent elbow tendonitis.. the list goes on...

Bjj and combat sports culture is strange. I paid attention to it probably more than I should have. I honestly don't miss that juvenile drama part even the slightest. 

J W wrote:

Is working the bag not an option?

Body-shots only sparring?

Once in a while, I put in a round on the heavy bag, and even though I maintain a consistent exercise routine for climbing and trails, I’m surprised each and every time by how exhausting a single 3-minute round of work is. So brutal!

I could, most of my time spent was wrestling and it hurts too much to even tie up now so I kinda moved on. Although I love watching mma, boxing, etc. wrestling is the only sport involved that I’m really interested in participating in.