Ring Judges

Watching the UFC 119 event I am wondering if the fighters aren't being forced to alter their fighting strategies to play to a judging pool that may have a decided preference toward boxing. The age old feud between the Martial Arts and boxing goes back at least to the 60's where according to Boxers and the Marquis of Queensberry rules kicking, grabbing, throwing and tripping were just down right ungentlemanly cheating if you will. An attitude I believe still exists in the minds of boxing purists today, many Of whom are judging Mixed Martial Arts events today. How are you going to get a truly objective judgment call from someone who thinks kicking is cheating and doesn’t understand ground fighting at all.

So I believe what you end up with is fighters trying to get the attention of judges with tunnel vision, judges who want to see only one thing , Meet in the middle and punch each other in the face till somebody falls down , forward into the past ! It was the elements of the ground game that catapulted Mixed Martial Arts into the stratosphere and to the level of popularity we see today as well as Distinguishing it from ridiculous tough man contests and one dimensional boxing Matches. How can a truly well rounded fighter get an unbiased and informed decision from an Individual with an appreciation and understanding of less than 25% of the entire Competition? If you don't like kicking, if you don't understand grappling and you Think all clinches should be immediately broken up how do you judge a Mixed Martial Arts event, and I use as example the fights and decisions witnessed at The last big pay per view event we all watched.

I think it is time we add some grapplers as judges for these Mixed Martial Arts matches. Get some judges that truly understand Mixed Martial Arts and all of it's Nuances! When we have world class grapplers stand in the middle of the Ring and try to out punch a fighter with a 4" reach advantage never once going To the ground we are abandoning the very things that make this the toughest and Most entertaining sport on the planet.

as a point of interest the very first rules governing prize fighting were called "Jack Broughton's Boxing Rules" established in 1743. Fights under these rules were typically contested with bare knuckles. The rules also allowed for a broad range of fighting (kicks) including holds and throws of the opponent. Spiked shoes, within limits, were also allowed. Also included were provisions dealing with how wagers would be resolved if various events such as interference by the law, darkness, or cancellations occurred. In contrast with modern boxing rules based upon the Marquis of Queensberry rules established in 1865 , a round ended with a man downed by punch or throw, whereupon he was given 30 seconds to rest and eight additional seconds to "come to scratch" or return to the centre of the ring where a "scratch line" was drawn and square off with his opponent once more. Consequently, there were no round limits to fights. When a man could not come to scratch, he would be declared loser and the fight would be brought to a halt. Fights could also end if broken up beforehand by crowd riot, police interference or chicanery, or if both men were willing to accept that the contest was a draw. While fights could have enormous numbers of rounds, the rounds in practice could be quite short with fighters pretending to go down from minor blows to take advantage of the 30-second rest period.

Nobody wants to see two fighters lock up and stay on the mat all night but to ignore or not recognize a great ground game and its importance to the sport is dangerous! Without The knees , the elbows, the clinch work and great grappling all we are left with is , SLOPPY BOXING !

Have an opinion ? Shoot us an E-Mail to Brad Johnson at mmafloridafighter@gmail.com.

  Finally some great fights in Fort Myers !

After years of sub - standard Mixed Martial Arts events held in the southwest Florida area, Art Of Fighting brings to Fort Myers a fight card worth attending. There wasn't one bad fight on the card and had the Crafton Wallace - Waachiim Spiritwolf bout not failed to continue due to injury it would have been a grand slam.

Many of the fighters were from the southwest Florida area and I must say the standard of average in the Mixed Martial Arts world in south Florida has improved exponentially. It no longer is just a bunch of gutsy tough guys. These gutsy tough guys have solid technique, they are true Mixed Martial Artists as were their competitors.

It was a good crowd and with the exception of a few Mixed Martial Arts illiterates screaming "stand em up" every time the fighters went to the mat, it was a pretty MMA savy crowd. And for those who enjoy the complexities of this chess match in a cage, it was an exciting evening of up and coming stars.

If the MMA Florida Fighters continue to improve at this rate and Art Of Fighting continues to offer this level of Match Making to the southwest Florida area, Fort Myers and the surounding areas are in for some truly exciting Mixed Martial Arts events.

Have an opinion ? Shoot us an E-Mail to Brad Johnson at mmafloridafighter@gmail.com.

  THE IMPORTANCE OF POSITIVE EXPOSURE

Fighters train for hours a day, morning workouts, evening workouts, tasteless diets and gut wrenching physical regimens. Grappling,Striking, Weight Training, For serious MMA Fighters it's a full time job in itself. And this does not take into consideration the hours of full contact training.

So what is the fighters goal, Fame, the Belt, MONEY ? Lets start with fame anyone who has won a bout in front of a large crowd knows the feeling of that extreme rush that comes over you when you hear the thunderous roar of approval and adoration of the fans. It's a feeling offered by few pleasures in life. But just like those feelings they are soon gone.

You had your fifteen minutes of Fame and now you are back in the gym training for the next opportunity to display your talents and once again feel that Rush. But to what end? The Belt ? Yes, that coveted symbol that screams "I am the best" I will take on all comers and defend my title till I'm sixty four. But how do I get there ? And when do I make some money ?

Money , after all sooner or later it comes down to money. Money to live on Money to train on, after all it is that "Necessary Evil" !It's a long way from your first fight to the big "Pay Day". And there are so many factors that come into play. And unfortunately talent alone won't do it. And it's not just getting fights they have to be the right fights. Being middle weight champ of the "Brawling bubbas 4" cage fights alone won't get you looked at. Experience it is, exposure maybe not.

Top promoters and match makers can't go to every small venue in the state, even though I truly believe they would if they could. So how do you be discovered ? First, get your fights on you tube, now you have a place where they can view you in action. But how do they know to look YOU up ? EXPOSURE ! Take every oportunity to be seen. Do interviews on Sites like MMA Florida Fighter  that offers twenty four seven 24/7 EXPOSURE where a Promoter or Match Maker may see your interview , like your style and chose to check you out on you tube. Promoters are always looking for new talent, Maybe you're it ! Get EXPOSED be seen on MMA Florida Fighter just drop us an E-Mail at www.mmafloridafighter@gmail.com

Have an opinion ? Shoot us an E-Mail to Brad Johnson at mmafloridafighter@gmail.com.