Essential The Official MMA Thread

[Change]

Tyson on the UFC, the Gracies and charity - Mixed Martial Arts Blog - ESPN

Jake Rossen: You’ve been touring the show for a few months now. When you started, was the idea of public speaking more nerve-wracking than fighting?

Tyson: Absolutely. I’m not the most didactic guy when it comes to my linguistics skills. Spike [Lee, the show’s director] hired a voice coach, a speech teacher, so I could pronounce the words in a proper fashion. I still sometimes garble my G's and R's, though.

They’re ready to film this for television, it’s gotten so good. Spike has hinted at it. Though I might talk too much and then he’ll say, "Hell, no, we’re not going to do it now."

Rossen: You were one of the first boxers to acknowledge mixed martial arts as a legitimate combat sport. Do you remember when you first watched the UFC?

Tyson: My friends were all at my house one day, and we see these guys promoting these cage fights, right? When everybody was over, people were normally inebriated, so we said, “We’re putting this on. We’re gonna watch this!” Next thing you know, we’re watching Ken Shamrock and someone fight. Bang! I’m saying, “This is real, man. This is on!”

We started watching it every time we got the chance. We’ve been following the guys since [Royce] Gracie, Shamrock, [Dan] Severn. It just kept evolving and evolving.

Rossen: At those early shows, sometimes people in the crowd would hold up signs saying, “Tyson vs. Gracie.” What would you think when you saw that?

Tyson: Yeah! That was so awesome. I love all kinds of fighting. To say I only love two guys putting on gloves and only punching, I would be a moron to say that.

Rossen: Did you ever seriously consider an offer to fight MMA when you were active as an athlete?

Tyson: Not really, because by the time it took off, I was already doing boxing. This is something you have to start when you’re 12 or 13. It has to be a passion. That’s the problem with boxing: There’s no passion. People want to be record producers, rappers. In MMA, you see that passion. Georges St-Pierre, this is all he wants to do. That’s why he’s so successful.


Dave Mandel/Sherdog.com
Royce Gracie changed the face of MMA in the eyes of Mike Tyson.
Rossen: But back in those days, it wasn’t so refined. I know it’s a hypothetical, but what do you think would’ve happened if someone had put up enough money for you to fight Royce Gracie? He was a much smaller man.

Tyson: It doesn’t matter. If I hit him with a good punch, OK, but if he gets hold of me and in a position I’m not familiar with, I’m not going to win the fight. I would have to be equipped with grappling skills as well. Gracie changed the whole game around. To be involved in this kind of fight, you have to know that style right off the bat.

Everyone learned his style of fighting. Everything we have now is because of the Gracies taking it to the next level. Their name isn’t on it, but that’s what it is. It’s Gracie Fighting.

Rossen: Have you ever grappled?

Tyson: Never in my life, no. Unless I had a street fight where I had to grab someone and slam them. [Laughs]

Rossen: There’s always talk MMA is set to “replace” boxing. Do you think the two will continue to coexist?

Tyson: I think there’s room for both [MMA] and boxing, but boxing just has too many black eyes. It doesn’t have a good image. In MMA, even though people are fighting, they have a good image. Very few of them get into tragic troubles where they’re beating people up and stuff.

Rossen: Do you see Jon Jones versus Anderson Silva as MMA’s version of Manny Pacquiao versus Floyd Mayweather Jr.?

Tyson: That’d be an awesome fight from the fans’ standpoint. All the fans want to see two invincible fighters from two different weight divisions. It would be very interesting.

Rossen: As a fighter, though, when you have a lucrative win streak going, do you think it makes either of those guys reluctant to do it?

Tyson: The essence of fighting is this: to push yourself to the limit. Say you get defeated. Do you push yourself to another limit to overcome that defeat? This is what fighting is about. That’s why it’s such a metaphor for life. Even though you’re going to lose and you know you’re going to lose, you still have to fight and fight to win.

Rossen: Are you more of a boxing or MMA fan now?

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Tyson: I love MMA and love boxing, but I’m always watching the MMA stuff. With boxing, you don’t know if the guy’s going to get a [good] decision, you know? In UFC, there’s the Ultimate Fighter house -- you cultivate the fighters spiritually, work with them, it’s a team effort. In boxing, it’s like, “The hell with you.” The fighters dislike everybody. The MMA fighters are killing each other and they’re friends!

Rossen: You seem to have a good relationship with the UFC. Would you ever consider doing commentary for them if asked?

Tyson: Absolutely. I would also work in boxing if I could get a chance to clean it up, get it organized and government-operated. It has to be. Look at all the atrocities that have happened in the history of boxing.

Rossen: You’ve spoken before about being a huge fan of Fedor Emelianenko. Is there one fighter in the UFC you love to watch compete?

Tyson: It has to be Jon Jones. But I like Anderson Silva, too. And Cain Velasquez! He showed what a champion is. He took a humiliating defeat, came back focused and beat Junior dos Santos [in the rematch].

I look at MMA totally differently from how the fans look at it. I look at people overcoming adversities. Most guys being knocked out the way Cain was would’ve lost all of their spirit. He could’ve come back for a payday and gotten knocked out in one round. Instead, he examined his loss and changed the outcome.

Rossen: There are some parallels there to your own life. You have a charity now, Mike Tyson Cares. What gave you that initiative?

Tyson: My wife and I were piggybacking on other established charities. We were so happy we were able to put smiles on so many faces, get medication into hospitals, get people educated. We’ve gotten 7,000 homeless kids medical supplies, school supplies, by piggybacking with these other organizations. It gave us great satisfaction.

I just want to continue to be of service, continue to help people, and do good things in life. I want to have moral achievements more than tangible, physical ones.

 

[jackswstd]

I love hearing Mike talk about fighting his knowledge about the intricacies of the fight game is godly.

 

[Screwface Exchange]

My thing is he keeps saying "I see his weaknesses" etc.. watching tape and being in there when the cage door closes are two different things. He's talking like Anderson will just be there for him to submit or takedown at will.

thats exactly how i feel on the situation. I think he's too caught up in the silva/sonnen 1 fight and thinkin oh yeah i can hold him down for 5 rounds jus like Sonnen and maybe i get lucky and an elbow cuts him n i get the win. But he has to realize, Sonnen had all the stars aligned, the rabbits foot in his jock strap had him done for 4+ rounds and STILL LOST. Sonnen got a 2nd chance, took em down round 1, and STILL LOST. The tape Weidman shld be watchin is the Dan Henderson, Lutter and Okami matches. Those are sum excellent top level wrestlers and grapplers. And in the henderson n Lutter match they both got Silva down da 1st round, Lutter in fact i think may have won the 1st rnd i beleive, and still they both got their asses kicked the very next round.

 

[Blackking]

Always a Mike fan.. plus I grew up with him and he's developed in his thinking along with the rest of us, so it's interesting to hear his opinion of anything fight related.

 

[Change]

Mike knows..............................he know.

 

[Blackking]

Why do you all think Silva can't easily knock a defenseless Weidman out with strikes? Why do you all think that Silva has even used his bjj to the full scope of his abilities and that he can't hang with Weidman? Weidman just isn't strong enough for this sh1t... There are too many barriers to overcome... when he gets in there and are taking those strikes he won't be able to take advantage of the "weaknesses " that silva has used to dominate any challenger.

I just hope for Silva's sake and relationship with his bosses that he makes sure it's interesting and he attacks instead of waiting to the inevitable mistakes that Weidman will make.

 

[Change]

Why do you all think Silva can't easily knock a defenseless Weidman out with strikes? Why do you all think that Silva has even used his bjj to the full scope of his abilities and that he can't hang with Weidman? Weidman just isn't strong enough for this sh1t... There are too many barriers to overcome... when he gets in there and are taking those strikes he won't be able to take advantage of the "weaknesses " that silva has used to dominate any challenger.

I just hope for Silva's sake and relationship with his bosses that he makes sure it's interesting and he attacks instead of waiting to the inevitable mistakes that Weidman will make.

Make no mistakes, I want Anderson to win, but why wouldn't a time NCAA Division I All-American be able to take him down?

He's done it to everyone he's wanted to so far. He put a CLINIC, and wrestling asswhooping clinic, on Mark Munoz. He's not Hendo who's a Greco wrestler and couldn't shoot a single or double if his life depended on it. He's huge and imo he's without a doubt a better MMA wrestler than Chael. Everyone that trains with him says his BJJ is next level. At one point he was attacking Maia with subs in their fight. His stand up has looked good in all his fights. He's not really a guy that has shown any questionable gaps yet.

Plus Anderson is getting old and coming off a long layoff. Weidman can win.

But again... I hate this fight and will be cheering for Anderson.

 

[Blackking]

Make no mistakes, I want Anderson to win, but why wouldn't a time NCAA Division I All-American be able to take him down?

He's done it to everyone he's wanted to so far. He put a CLINIC, and wrestling asswhooping clinic, on Mark Munoz. He's not Hendo who's a Greco wrestler and couldn't shoot a single or double if his life depended on it. He's huge and imo he's without a doubt a better MMA wrestler than Chael. Everyone that trains with him says his BJJ is next level. At one point he was attacking Maia with subs in their fight. His stand up has looked good in all his fights. He's not really a guy that has shown any questionable gaps yet.

Plus Anderson is getting old and coming off a long layoff. Weidman can win.

But again... I hate this fight and will be cheering for Anderson.

you mention the one with Maia.... If someone is comfortable with striking and standing up... then they kickpunch at frickin Maia. He (weidman) decided to play wrestling with a BJJ guy to get a decision.

Anderson is big as well. He walks around big so I think he can handle W, even if W is huge... plus anderson has knocked out 205 guys before and he trains with HW's.

Anerson may be coming off a layoff, but W has an injury (i think he had one). So that wont help Weidman.... Silva has proven to be dedicated to training no matter what - and his age hasn't been a factor so far, and he is so skilled and mentally confident- that he's 'internally' stronger than most fighters despite his age.

Plus the Silva on the ground myth has been crushed so many times. If you have to fight that man today-- what is your plan?? Obviously to out wrestle him because that's your only chance. But Silva knows this and prepares for it and has crushed the dreams of everyone who's tried. ALL of the BJJ and Wrestling guys have been world class, and/or college champs... they are the best in the world. I still have respect for them , but Sliva's recovery defense has NO respect for that sh1t. He knows how to use that reach and distance so good... it's just disgusting.. I've seen people in real life try to do that and comparatively Silva is the Gawd.

You have to be a completely fearless idiot to go in on Silva full force (sonnen) and not miss a beat to prepare to defend the knee and fist/foot. I don't even know what its called... but you need that to even go in, in the first place ..... then you need the best take down defense counter defense in the world..... if there is such a thing.. (which Jon Jones proves that there isn't such a thing.)

So it will be 5 years before Silva is beaten, which I hope hes retired before then.

 

[thernbroom]

How Dan Cormier and Jon Jones almost came to blows


https://soundcloud.com/mmaroasted/mma-roasted-18-todd-rexx

8:30 mark


or

Todd Rexx, professional international comedian and owner of the UFC-certified lifestyle clothing brand TrauMMA Combat Apparel recently apeared on the MMARoasted Podcast and detailed an altercation between Jon Jones and Danie Cormier at the MMA Awards in 2011.

At the time we were sponsoring Daniel, so I went to the awards with Daniel… I sat next to Jon Jones through the entire awards, and we talked the whole time, and it seemed like he was really cool and it kinda changed my thoughts on him, for the time being.

Then afterwards, my wife had texted me during the awards to say she got a call from this dude named Lou Dibona, who told her that Jon Jones was leaving the forum, and that there was some sponsorship availability if we were interested.

So in the lobby, I was with Daniel, Daniel took a phone call, and I walked over to Jon who's getting ransacked by people, and I told him that Lou Dibona hit us up about sponsorship and he was like "Don't you sponsor Daniel?"

I was like 'yeah.'

He was like 'I don't want to f--- with nobody who f---s with him.'

And I was like 'really.'

And he was like 'no disrespect to you, man, but if you sponsor Daniel, then I don't want to f--- with you guys.

"And I was like 'wow.'

Daniel was on the phone, he hung up the phone and walked over to me and said 'what did he just say to you?' I was like 'don't worry about it.' and he was like 'no man, he talked s--- didn't he?'And I was like 'well, yah.'
And he was like 'what did he say?'
And I was like 'don't worry about it man. Let's get something to eat.'
And he was like 'no man, if someone talks shyt about you, I tell you.'
So I said 'he told me he doesn't want to f--- with TrauMMA because we sponsor you.'
And he was like 'he said that?'
And I was like 'yah.'
And he walked away.
And I was like 'dude, don't go start s---.
And he was like half way there and he said 'dude, did he really say that?'
And I was like 'Yah he did.'

So at that point Jon Jones and Malki Kawa are getting into a limo, and Daniel walked outside and grabbed Jon by the arm, and spun him around and was like 'dude, you got f------ problem with me?'
And I was like 'oh my God.'
So they are facing off
Jon said 'Yo, I think that you, King Mo, and Rashad Evans, ya'll full of yourselves.' He just talked s--- about Daniel.
They were like in each other's face.
Daniel was like 'mother f----- you don't know anything about me. I'm a grown ass man. This all started when you claimed to be this wrestling aficionado, and when you met me, you didn't know who I was. Motherf----- you knew who I was. I knew every wrestler when I was coming up.

 

[Screwface Exchange]

Make no mistakes, I want Anderson to win, but why wouldn't a time NCAA Division I All-American be able to take him down?

He's done it to everyone he's wanted to so far. He put a CLINIC, and wrestling asswhooping clinic, on Mark Munoz. He's not Hendo who's a Greco wrestler and couldn't shoot a single or double if his life depended on it. He's huge and imo he's without a doubt a better MMA wrestler than Chael. Everyone that trains with him says his BJJ is next level. At one point he was attacking Maia with subs in their fight. His stand up has looked good in all his fights. He's not really a guy that has shown any questionable gaps yet.

Plus Anderson is getting old and coming off a long layoff. Weidman can win.

But again... I hate this fight and will be cheering for Anderson.

Come on now, and we please stop over stating what Weidman has done in his mma career? yes i luv watchin weidman fight, hes a solid up and comer but if your not on the ufc's payroll then stop over hyping this kid. He did not put on a wrestling asswhooping clinic on Munoz. Pls go rewatch the fight, he took Munoz down early in the 1st rnd, and then used his solid BJJ to keep em down. he was holdin on to a kimura, a darth choke most of the time while on the ground, it wasn't a wrestling ass whooping. And before the end of the 1st roudn Munoz stood up and got outta it. He didnt take any big punches from Weidman, mostly was sum mad elbows and knees. In the 2nd round it was an elbow while standing that ended that fight for Munoz, it wasn't no takedowns or wrestling or even a kick or punch, it was 1 lucky elbow.

Spoiler

Mark Munoz vs Chris Weidman Fight Video - UFC on FUEL TV 4 | FightVideoMMA - Mixed Martial Arts Videos, MMA Fight Videos, MMA News, MMA Shows, Video Clips... |

The fact that you say he's a better mma wrestler than Chael or Dan henderson shows ur stupidity. You've mustve just started watching ufc and mma, as dan hendo in his prime was tearin shyt up in Pride. The fighers who henderson has wins over, is a WHO WHO of MMA period. Weidman hasn't even faced ne1 on the level of a Silva nor even a henderson.

Shogun
Fedor
Babalu
Franklin
Wanderlei
Belfort
Nogeuira ( dis dude is a heavy weight yet u talkin weidman bigger than Dan)
Newton

Pls can you tell me who has Weidman faced, not even beaten but faced who is anywhere on the level of some of the men who Dan henderson has beaten. if your gonna mention a guy hasn't shown any gaps yet, tell him to face top competition 1st and then see if he survives.

Go back and look at the list of names there who dan has between and now go look at Weidmans mma record:

Munoz (even matt hamil knocked dis dude out, maybe hamil shld get a shot at anderson now lol)
maia (tlkin bout fighting bigger guys Maia fightin at 170 now, lol)
lawlor
bongfeldt
sakara
and the rest aren't even worth mentioning.

yes we all wanna see a good fight between weidman n silva, and yes weidman is very skilled, but he has nothing more than a punchers chance at winning.

 

[Change]

^What does who Hendo beat have anything to do with Greco VS Freestyle and how it relates to Anderson?

 

[The Infamous]

Come on now, and we please stop over stating what Weidman has done in his mma career? yes i luv watchin weidman fight, hes a solid up and comer but if your not on the ufc's payroll then stop over hyping this kid. He did not put on a wrestling asswhooping clinic on Munoz. Pls go rewatch the fight, he took Munoz down early in the 1st rnd, and then used his solid BJJ to keep em down. he was holdin on to a kimura, a darth choke most of the time while on the ground, it wasn't a wrestling ass whooping. And before the end of the 1st roudn Munoz stood up and got outta it. He didnt take any big punches from Weidman, mostly was sum mad elbows and knees. In the 2nd round it was an elbow while standing that ended that fight for Munoz, it wasn't no takedowns or wrestling or even a kick or punch, it was 1 lucky elbow.

Spoiler

Mark Munoz vs Chris Weidman Fight Video - UFC on FUEL TV 4 | FightVideoMMA - Mixed Martial Arts Videos, MMA Fight Videos, MMA News, MMA Shows, Video Clips... |

The fact that you say he's a better mma wrestler than Chael or Dan henderson shows ur stupidity. You've mustve just started watching ufc and mma, as dan hendo in his prime was tearin shyt up in Pride. The fighers who henderson has wins over, is a WHO WHO of MMA period. Weidman hasn't even faced ne1 on the level of a Silva nor even a henderson.

Shogun
Fedor
Babalu
Franklin
Wanderlei
Belfort
Nogeuira ( dis dude is a heavy weight yet u talkin weidman bigger than Dan)
Newton

Pls can you tell me who has Weidman faced, not even beaten but faced who is anywhere on the level of some of the men who Dan henderson has beaten. if your gonna mention a guy hasn't shown any gaps yet, tell him to face top competition 1st and then see if he survives.

Go back and look at the list of names there who dan has between and now go look at Weidmans mma record:

Munoz (even matt hamil knocked dis dude out, maybe hamil shld get a shot at anderson now lol)
maia (tlkin bout fighting bigger guys Maia fightin at 170 now, lol)
lawlor
bongfeldt
sakara
and the rest aren't even worth mentioning.

yes we all wanna see a good fight between weidman n silva, and yes weidman is very skilled, but he has nothing more than a punchers chance at winning.

Weidman IS a better MMA wrestler than Hendo and is on about the same level as Chael. Like Shonuf said, what does Hendo's resume have anything to do this [in terms of being a better wrestler]? Hendo got out-wrestled by a terrible wrestler in Shogun. Plus, he got easily out-wrestled by a WW in Shields.

Weidman is a dangerous opponent for Anderson. He has size, strength, is athletic, and most importantly has excellent wrestling and BJJ. Even his striking is coming along nicely. He is one of the toughest opponents that Anderson has faced. I'm not saying that Weidman will win, I just believe that he presents a formidable challenge.

 

[FaTaL]

Can weidman take as down? I think this might be a replay of the as/maia fight

 

[bsmooth]

The Ultimate Fighting Championship has fined middleweight titleholder Anderson Silva $50,000 for refusing to take part in a planned pre-UFC 162 media event.

Silva (33-4 MMA, 16-0 UFC) was scheduled to talk with a few of Los Angeles' largest media outlets on Tuesday but ultimately skipped the session and instead flew home to his native Brazil.

"We had a full media day set up for him in Los Angeles, and he just decided he didn't want to do it, so he's being fined $50,000," UFC President Dana White told USA TODAY Sports and MMAjunkie.com (UFC blog for UFC news, UFC rumors, fighter interviews and event previews/recaps*–*MMAjunkie.com).

 

[Roman Brady]

The Ultimate Fighting Championship has fined middleweight titleholder Anderson Silva $50,000 for refusing to take part in a planned pre-UFC 162 media event.

Silva (33-4 MMA, 16-0 UFC) was scheduled to talk with a few of Los Angeles' largest media outlets on Tuesday but ultimately skipped the session and instead flew home to his native Brazil.

"We had a full media day set up for him in Los Angeles, and he just decided he didn't want to do it, so he's being fined $50,000," UFC President Dana White told USA TODAY Sports and MMAjunkie.com (UFC blog for UFC news, UFC rumors, fighter interviews and event previews/recaps*–*MMAjunkie.com).

but nick gets coddled for his shenanigans because (they can use it to sell a fight and) he supposedly has anxiety issues