As they say in the Octagon: "It's tiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiime"
whitey@wgr550.com
Picture it: The HSBC Arena is full. The lights go down, the music comes up, and an area fighter comes out of the tunnel to defend his title. The world is watching Buffalo, NY. The fans in the sold out bowl are jacked up to a feverish intensity, ready for "fight night".
It sounds a lot like things a few years back when "Baby" Joe Mesi fought at the HSBC Arena on HBO's Boxing After Dark. We bought up those tickets, and fight night was plenty of fun. Joe made quick work of his opponents, and I don't distinctly remember anyone asking "Hey, is Touch of Sleep Williamson ok?"
Where is that guy? Did he have ANY business being in that ring? Not at all. Boxing, has nearly lost all credibility. It's fans are GOOD fans, looking for...something...anything...to hang their hat on. There isn't much left. The future is bleak...in large part because the new kid on the block, is taking all of its fans, and giving them what they want.
Knockouts...Action...Title fights...and $149 worth of material on a $49 PPV.
We MMA fans have just about everything we could ask for...well, almost everything. You see, if i want to GO to an event, I've got to travel. Mixed Martial Arts in New York State...is illegal.
It just doesn't make sense. I can watch it on TV, but not in person? What if college basketball games were illegal to hold in NYS? Or football? What else in the world is legal to watch, but not to attend?
The sport has plenty of supporters. Rather than a fan's perspective...how about a fighter's?
Enter UFC Light Heavyweight Champion - Rashad Evans.
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"I would love to fight at Madison Square Garden, or HSBC Arena. It'd be something different. A lot of people have this misconception about Mixed Martial Arts, that it's human cockfighting or something," says Evans.
Professional MMA is only banned in a handful of states, but most of that stems from what the sport USED to be. Arizona Senator John McCain coined the term "human cockfighting" more than a decade ago. The phrase has stuck, despite the fact that the product has changed significantly since that time.
The Ultimate Fighting Championship is the largest MMA outfit in the world, and has brought credibility to a sport that is thought of in plenty of circles, as brutality. Cage fighting has been hailed as "no holds barred", but that is simply not true. There are plenty of rules and regulations in place to protect the combatants.
Is the sport still at times, brutal? Yes? Is football not? Is hockey not? Is boxing not? Some say it seems like mayhem in the ring, but shouldn't the caliber of athlete competing say something of the sport?
The Niagara Falls native attended Niagara County Community College where he won the National Junior College Championship in wrestling. He then transferred to Michigan State where his success on the mat continued. No one disputes the skill and ability involved in wrestling. It is an Olympic sport. So, shouldn't it say something that one of the world's best decided to take his skill set to "the next level"?
"I just wanted to find a venue that I could compete at. The first time I did a show, it was like a wrestling match, but the stakes were higher," says Evans. "To have that new excitement level, "Maybe I might get knocked out"… it was a whole different issue. You gotta watch your p's and q's, or you'll end up on somebody else's highlight reel."
After winning a contract with the UFC by virtue of winning the reality television show "The Ultimate Fighter - 2", Evans career was on its way. Unbeaten through a handful of fights, he earned his shot. Not a title shot...but a shot to take the spotlight. Rashad capitalized, and put Chuck Liddell on his highlight reel with a punch for the ages: www.youtube.com/watch?v=KzHlCUOyzeo
"It was kinda surreal. I'm standing across the Octagon from Chuck Liddell. It was like a scene from a movie. He's given me the "Iceman" look and everything."
The Iceman was put out cold and Evans was primed for a title shot. The difference in the two fights shows you the science of the sport. Against Liddell, it was going to be a glorified boxing match. Both men are capable of throwing heavy punches, with knockout power.
Forrest Griffin is much better as a tactical fighter. Griffin has wicked kicks (ask Rampage Jackson). Griffin is a master on the mat...but in the title fight, he was facing a top flight wrestler.
Evans overpowered Griffin, and after a few strikes, the referee stepped in, and the belt was his.
Evans will fight again, and soon. It's not up to him where or when. It's one of the strongest features of a sport that is moving past boxing with the speed of Michael Phelps in the swimming pool. Boxing is drowning, while the UFC is standing at the podium. It's all business. Here's who you fight next. Here's where to be. No squatting on your belt. You fight, or they'll take it from you.
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Let's go back to that "Picture this:"
Imagine it all happens, in downtown Buffalo. Current law states that...it can't.
Is New York any different than Ohio, or California, or any of the other of the scores of states that permit it? One thing I can say confidently: the sport is on the rise, with or without the Empire State.
MMA has had plenty of image to shed, and they've done it successfully in most of the country. New York State is definitely on the radar, but sometimes getting people to change something is tough. MMA should be legalized here.
Evans knows that will take work, "Basically, it'd take getting some of the people who are against it to watch it, and go to an event. A lot of people just see somebody bleeding, and they don't see techniques. It's way more intricate."
It's a nice thought, but just bringing folks out to see it and saying "hey...legalize us", simply won't work. The sport has its enemies who will never turn. There's nothing wrong with thinking that it's too violent. There's nothing wrong with thinking that it's just not for you. WHEN it is legalized...you don't have to go. My question is...why isn't it for me?
The future is bright for the sport, and for Evans. His first title defense should come in just a few months. Who will it be?
"I guess, Rampage (Jackson), but anything can happen in the sport."
Anything can happen inside the Octagon. I'll be watching and waiting for something to happen OUTSIDE of it.
whitey@wgr550.com
- Rashad Evans joined us Tuesday morning on the Howard Simon Show. Be sure to check it out at the audio vault -
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