I told you in this post in July that I love watching mixed martial arts on television. But I hate to tell people that because I get such an odd reaction because the sport is so violent. Yes, and so is football, although you can't legally choke your opponent in football like you can in MMA.
I have been following the MMA career of Fresnan Josh Kosheck, mostly because I used to watch him work out at Gold's Gym, where I'm an occasional attender. (Koshcheck has opened his own gym, the American Kickboxing Academy in Fresno). The other day Kosheck won a big match in Las Vegas that puts him on the UFC title track. The Bee's story tells you all you need to know about this sport: Kosheck "sank a rear naked choke on Anthony Johnson (8-3) and forced him to tap out with 13 seconds remaining in the second round."
The idea is simple. If you don't tap out. You will go unconscious. Winners are very easy to determine when one guy is stomping around the ring in victory and the other guy is limp on the canvas. Often though, the decision goes to the judges' scorecards.
While it may look like a street fight among hoodlums to some, these athletes have to be versatile and in great physical condition. You can't be one dimensional. You have to be able to box, wrestle, kickbox and use jiu-jitsui and variations of that sport. Show me an MMA fighter, and I'll show you one tough dude.
Koscheck is expected to fight the winner of the Dan Hardy/Georges St-Pierre for the UFC welterweight title. I've watched St-Pierre several times on television and he controls the cage with all sorts of acrobatic moves and sheer striking power. If you can beat him, you deserve to be champion.
umm..did anyone see the fight tonight? Wow, I never expected Kimbo Slice's ground game to be that good!His stamina needs some work though.