With the world of Mixed Martial Arts growing more popular by the day, there are many misconceptions about the sport.  Here’s setting the record straight.

10.  MMA has been around since the time of the ancient Greeks.

Around 600 BC, the Greeks started a new sport in their ancient Olympic Games.  This new sport, Pankration (meaning “all powers”) combined the elements of wrestling and boxing into one sport.  Similar to today, matches were fought in rings and were won by knocking your opponent unconscious or through submission by the opponent raising his hand.

9.  Many believe that fighters fast to lose weight in days before an event, but most chose to lose it in a healthy way.   Fighters often lose the weight  through different ways.  Some use diet and exercise, while others go sweat it out in the sauna.  Seemingly, most fighters are dedicated to a healthy and natural diet all year, as to avoid the last minute weight loss.

8.  Some fighters say the biggest mistake you can make is not being humble.  In an interview with MMA frenzy, Cole Miller said that not being humble often leads to a humiliating loss, making a fighter want to rethink his career choice.

7.  MMA is a team sport– a fighter’s team, staff and trainers are the force behind the fighters.  They’re the people closest to the fighter; after spending hours a day in training, they’re often thought of as family.  Fighters and coaches often give their all to each other, which has been a winning combination in the world of MMA.

6.  UFC champs gets to keep the belt.  UFC heavyweight champion Ricco Rodriguez supposedly tried to sell his belt on Ebay in 2008 to raise money for a local school.

5.  The first publicized “MMA” event was in China in 1909 between British boxer Hercules O’Brien and Chinese martial artist Huo Yuan Jia.  The fighters had a hard time agreeing to the rules of the match, but they decided that whoever could knock down the other would win. 

The 2006 movie Fearless, is loosely based off of this fight and focuses on Yuan Jia’s life, who is arguably one of the most famous Chinese martial artists of all times.

4.  Thought Cub Swanson got knocked out quickly in June 2009 by Jose Aldo?  His eight seconds before knockout is a century compared to the knockout of Lautaro Tucas by Chris Clements in three seconds back in 2006.

3.  UFC continued to grow in popularity in the mid 90s, when they promoted their fights as “the bloodiest fighting you’ll ever see.”  Critics referred to it as “human cockfighting.”  Interestingly, the sport’s death rate is extremely low; its death count is currently being debated.  Some reports, for example associatedcontent.com,  state there are no deaths in the sport’s history, others, such as Grapplearts.com, say one death has occurred. 

2.  MMA is one of the most regulated sports in the world.  With numerous rules and judges, in addition to set time limits and amount of rounds, the league’s concern for the fighters’ safety is most important.  The regulation system is under the Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts and includes over 30 rules.  Many of these rules are similar to those used in Olympic events.

More precautions are taken with fighters than with many athletes from other sports.  Medical teams are present at every fight, and fighters often receive MRIs both before and after fights.

1.  MMA fighters have been successful collegiate athletes and Olympic athletes; the first ever being Mark Schultz, who received a gold medal in wrestling during the 1984 Olympic Games.  Schultz fought one MMA fight before returning to coach wrestling at the collegiate level.

Other Olympic athletes and MMA fighters include Rulon Gardner, Kevin Jackson and Kenny Monday.  Most have only fought in several matches.

To learn about the misconceptions of the dangers of UFC, click here.

To read more about the quickest knockouts, click here.

Boxing is a sport of controversy and drama, and Miguel Cotto’s showdown with Joshua Clottey last Saturday at Madison Square Garden did not disappoint. Cotto took the win with a decisive yet controversial unanimous decision , and being that the Garden is as close as it gets to a “home game” for Cotto, many believe that he was handed a gift in a fight that could have easily gone the other way.

Both men boxed cautiously at the center of the ring in round 1, establishing their jab. While Clottey’s jab was a bit more powerful and had a 3-inch reach advantage,  Cotto was the aggressor. To everyone’s surprise however, in the last five seconds of the round, Cotto scored a flash knockdown with a jab flush on Clottey’s chin. The crowd of 17,734, — largely Puerto Rican, and there to chant for their country’s fighting pride, on the eve of the Puerto Rican Day Parade – erupted in a roar not even comparable to a full Beaver Stadium. It was a moment that would set the tone for the rest of the bout: controversial, loud, and full of excitement.

Rounds 2 and 3 picked up the pace a little bit. As both fighters continued to get the feel for one another, they became more aggressive, following up their jabs with combinations. Clottey was the aggressor in round 2, demonstrating his incredible ability to fight defensively, which against a fighter like Cotto who attacks the body and creates a lot of open shots is hard to do.  Not only did he prove to fans that he was on the same level as Cotto, but that he actually could beat Cotto. In round 3, Cotto must have realized these things himself, because he turned up the flame, and came out as the aggressor. The action was toe-to-toe and blow- for- blow for all of the round. With 20 seconds to go in the round, they clashed heads, leaving Cotto with a severe cut over his left eye, causing a flow of blood into his eyes, which would persist for the remainder of the 12 round fight.

Cotto’s bad cut changed the tempo for the rest of the fight. In the 4th round, realizing Cotto’s cut could have the fight stopped at any minute Clottey tried to take advantage, aiming for it and trying to open it up, and each tried even harder now to take the other out. The fans realized this too, and as the 4th round begun, every shot that Cotto landed triggered a roaring response from the crowd. Despite his cut and blood in his eyes, Cotto began to establish a rhythm, landing some very thudding body shots, and then pivoting to avoid Clottey’s offensive barrage.

Round 5 fed off the energy of a great 4th round, and both men quickly got back to work. Cotto continued to viciously attack the body, as he is notorious for doing. However, Clottey’s faster hands became apparent, as he began to nail Cotto with counter- punching. The round continued at this pace until there was a minute left to go, and both men clinched up in the corner. As Cotto managed to slip out the clinch, body weights shifted and Cotto got leverage, slamming Clottey  to the floor face first, in what seemed to be an unintentional body slam. Even though it was clearly not a punch that sent Clottey down, the crowd erupted at the sight of their hero standing over his opponent face- first on the canvas. He laid flat for a few seconds, and it became clear that Clottey had hurt his knee, as he grabbed it with his glove and got up limping. After given an ample amount of time to walk it off, the rest of the round proceeded as normal.

As round 6 began, both men came out with a new fire in their hearts. Clottey, irritated from the body slam, and Cotto, fearful of having points deducted from him, and bleeding now more profusely than before, turned up the action to the next level. About a minute into the round, Cotto got the better of an exchange, slamming Clottey with a series of hooks that sent him into the corner. Once Cotto knew he had him vulnerable in the corner, he poured on the offense, landing punches in bunches to the body, then to the head, and then back down to the body. Clottey could do little to retaliate besides hold up a strong guard, and have a big heart.

For the remainder of most of the fight, Cotto danced around the ring, keeping distance, throwing  a few combinations, and keeping it moving. Clottey was clearly the aggressor in these rounds, but did not do enough to take advantage of the situation. Clottey was landing shots on a defensive Cotto, but not enough and certainly not hard enough to take the fight from Cotto. Rallied on by the very vibrant crowd, Cotto executed the rest of the fight to a T, keeping distance from Clottey’s shots and his now open flesh wound, the source of a constant stream of blood down his face, but landing enough shots to win rounds.

As the fight came to a close in the final round, both fighters knew it was going to be a close one, and each knew they needed to take the 12th round to seal their win. Clottey, continuing to be the aggressor, became almost too aggressive and too anxious as he began to get nailed with well timed Cotto counters. Two minutes into the round, Cotto hit Clottey hard in the back of the head with a hook, again an unintentional mistake, in which Cotto’s points came into question. As the round came to a close, in the final minute both men rallied, and once again cheered on by the crowd, Cotto got the best of their exchange, sealing the victory.

Both men fought with exceptional heart and unstoppable will. Both are true champions by any measure and both have bright futures. While, Clottey’s future is uncertain for now, he surely will not be forgotten about, as he fought one of his career defining fights. There are definitely big fights on the horizon for him. Cotto how ever, can look forward to a showdown with a superstar. There is talk of a bout between Cotto and pound for pound king Manny Pacquiao, or perhaps a rematch with Shane Mosley, which would be a huge fan pleaser. One thing is for sure, Cotto has put any ghosts from the Margarito loss behind him, and if anything, was made stronger because of it.

Located in Los Angeles, California, Legends Training Center is one of the country’s premier mixed martial arts gyms. Besides being home to world famous trainers and coaches, who have guided the likes of Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and Kimbo Slice, mixed martial arts legends, like Bas Rutten, invest in and frequently train at Legends gym. Their training techniques and focus makes the Legends gym one of the most successful in the country and sets them apart from most of the rest. Legends is one in a handful of professional class gyms that can encompass all the aspects of mix martial arts into their training program, and is one of the foremost sought-out gyms for want-to-be mixed martial artists.

Owner Chris Reilly, who co-founded the gym with former UFC heavyweight champions and legends, Bass Rutten and Randy Couture, has a large professional background in boxing and kickboxing as well as an expansive amateur background in Karate, Tangsudo, Hapkido, and Taekwondo, claiming a black belt in all four martial arts. In 2001 Reilly won the “King’s Birthday,” championship in Thailand, being the only American to ever do so, and was crowned the IKKC Junior Middleweight Champion in 2003.

Eddie Bravo, Legends’ Brazilian Jiu Jitsu instructor, is a North America pioneer in Jiu Jitsu. Bravo is the founder of 10th Planet Jiu Jitsu, a large chain of gyms, that have reached world fame. Bravo is attributed with evolving the sport of Jiu Jitsu to how it is used today in mixed martial arts. 10th Planet Jiu JItsu gyms are located all over the world from Toronto, Canada to Stockholm, Sweden. Bravo is the 2002 North American Abu Dhabi Combat Club champion, receiving “most technical fighter” honors, and is the 2000 Grappler’s Quest champion.

Peter Nylund cofounded the Bomb Squad Gym with Chris Reilly in 2002, the precursor to Legends, and teaches Muay Thai and Boxing at the Legends gym. Nylund was the 200 Swedish welterweight champion in shoot fighting, and in 2001 was the Swedish junior middleweight champion in Muay Thai. He is ranked as one of Sweden’s top 50 athletes.

The rest of Legends trainers and coaches are the best in the business, bar none, and their bios can be found at Who We Are.

Legends has not just changed the way mixed martial arts is trained and studied inside the gym. The Legends mixed martial arts blog has changed the way people talk about and discuss mixed martial arts outside of the gym. Their blog is one of the premiere online sources for amateur and professional mixed martial arts on the West Coast.  the Legends blog gets interviews with up and coming fighters, and keeps fans updated on the latest mixed martial arts news from fight cancelations, to fighter affiliation, and covers the activity of almost all professional mixed martial arts organizations.

The Legends gym is one of the few gyms in the world to reach the iconic status, as a place where champions are bred. Only a few boxing gyms in America claim this status. Gyms such as the Kronk Gym in Detroit, Michigan, and the Wild Card Gym, in Hollywood, California. Even fewer mixed martial arts gyms have claim to this status. Legends, and a few others if any, are among those that have achieved such recognition.

The increasingly expanding fan base of the fastest growing sport of the last decade, is about to make another major expansion. The UFC’s next event, UFC 99 The Comeback, is scheduled to take place in Germany, making this UFC event the first ever to take place in mainland Europe. With one of the UFC’s most promising events, comes an exciting fight card filled with UFC superstar hopefuls and jam-packed with talent and excitement. Among the most exciting fights on the main card is the heavy weight bout between Cain Velasquez of San Jose, California, and Cheick Kongo of Paris, France. In a card packed with exciting bouts, the heavyweight fight between Velasquez and Kongo is a stand out. 

Many eyes of the mixed martial arts world are focused on Cain Velasquez.  Velasquez, a 26 year old Mexican-American who is undefeated in the UFC with five wins all by way of knock out, has a heralded high school and collegiate wrestling background. A two-time state wrestling champion from Kofa High School in Arizona, he also was a junior college national wrestling champ at Iowa Central Community College, and a two-time All-American at Arizona State University. Velasquez is young, exciting, and full of potential.

Cheick Kongo is a 34 year-old Frenchman and a longtime established legitimate contender in the heavyweight division. He was brought in as a replacement for Heath Herring who had to withdraw from the fight due to illness. Kongo was a former kick boxer who went 19-2 before he entered the UFC in 2006 at UFC 61, and was already 7-2-1 in MMA bouts. He has since proven to be a legitimate force in the heavyweight division, having amassed a career UFC record of 14-4-1.

Kongo will be Velasquez’s biggest challenge yet, and one of Velasquez’s major stepping stones in becoming a UFC sensation. Velasquez knows this and has prepared himself for a war. In a recent interview with popular sports blog and news site, FANHOUSE, Velasquez made it clear that he was aware of the challenge ahead. In response to the question of Kongo being his toughest test yet, Velasquez let us know his feelings on the matchup, “Yes. I think with every fight it’s gotten tougher for me, and Kongo is on a winning streak and is my toughest fight to date, for sure.”

All eyes will be watching on June 13th when UFC 99 makes history at Lanxess Arena in Cologne, Germany, and those eyes will be particularly focused on Velasquez – Kongo. Velasquez being a wrestler, naturally looks for take down and submission opportunities. He has a large gas tank and prefers to wrestle it out on the ground, forcing his opponents into submission and then pounding them with punches. Kongo prefers to keep the fight off the ground until he can make a finishing move.  Having a large kickboxing background, Kongo trades punches with most of his opponents until they go down, at which point he smothers them on the ground with punches, elbows, and hammer fists. It will be very interesting to see which style has the upper hand in this fight: the punch and distance approach or the ground game. 

Although they are not headlining the event, their fight is sure to be one of the most exciting of the night on a main card and undercard with six scheduled fights. Their fight is the classic test of age and experience against youth and vigor. Velasquez will either persevere and prove to all UFC fans that he is the real deal, or Kongo will show that he still has what it takes to be a major contender in the sport.

When they meet this Saturday, June 13th, order the fight on Pay Per View, or watch the round by round coverage on ESPN.

In a title unification bout, two-time welterweight champion and former undisputed light welterweight champion Miguel Cotto, hopes to defeat welterweight champion Joshua Clottey to unify the WBO and IBF welterweight titles and become once again, the king of the welterweights. Cotto was dethroned by Antonio Margarito last July in a grueling and hard fought bout. However, Margarito was found with a plaster-like substance on his hand wraps before a fight on January 24th of this year, creating suspicion over his most recent wins, especially his brawl with Cotto, in which Cotto had won most of the early rounds.

Cotto unified all the titles and beat the best in the business at the light welterweight division, defeating the likes of DeMarcus Corley, Paulie Malignaggi, and Lovemore N’dou. In 2006, after the Malignaggi win, there was nowhere else for Cotto to go, except to move up to the star-studded welterweight division in hopes of a superstar bout. He got one six months later, for the WBA welterweight title against Carlos Quintana. After the Quintana fight, and his biggest win at the time, Cotto put on what seemed to be a boxing clinic against a list of superstars in five fights over the next year and a half. In doing so, he claimed wins over Zab Judah, Alfonso Gomez of contender fame, and long-time welterweight “gate keeper,” Shane Mosley. Cotto is now poised and ready to be back on top. A win over Joshua Clottey would once again shoot him into the boxing stratosphere.

Clottey is no newcomer to the fight game.  Although he is not the favorite to win, he will be a stiff challenge for the former welterweight king. Recently beating Zab Judah for the vacant IBF title, Joshua Clottey is ready to seize the glory he failed to attain in a bout which he lost against Antonio Margarito in 2006. Clottey has been a long time welterweight contender, who is now breaking into the spotlight with notable wins over the likes of Carlos Baldomir and Diego Corrales.

No matter the outcome, the fight is sure to please. As the saying goes, “styles make fights,” and if that proves to be the case, which it usually does, these two men are in for a hard-fought bout, which means the fans are in for a night of excitement. Both men fight with a “leave it all in the ring” mentality. Neither fighter is scared to take two shots to give one. However, both are capable of and have demonstrated their abilities to turn a brawl into a boxing match and vise versa. Cotto is a little more affective when he fights inside, and is known for his vicious body shots, which many believe gives him the edge. It is hard to predict how these fighters will handle one another, but it is safe to say that in no way, shape, or form, will this bout be action-deprived.

Their showdown at the Garden Saturday, June 13th, will prove to be one of heart, guts, and desire, and will be a true test and measure of champions. The bout will sell out the garden on the eve of the world famous Puerto Rican Day Parade, which is expected to be mostly comprised of Puerto Rican fans coming to cheer on Cotto.

Order the fight on Pay Per View, or follow the live round by round coverage on ESPN.

Overview -This DVD set features former 2-time light heavyweight Shooto World Champion and now world renown MMA coach, Erik Paulson.  Also featured is Greg Nelson, veteran MMA coach and trainer for UFC Heavyweight World Champion, Brock Lesner, and former UFC Lightweight World Champion, Sean Sherk.  Erik Paulson and Greg Nelson share and demonstrate tons of  standing to ground the material. Valuable training tips, techniques, and drills are presented throughout this series.   

Review -  This video is over four hours of MMA techniques and drills.  Erik Paulson and Greg Nelson are two of the most recognized MMA coaches in the world and train some of the best fighters in the world for a reason. This video covers everything a student and fighter of any level would want in an MMA instructional video.  Paulson and Nelson demonstrate multiple techniques and tips in all areas including: boxing, kickboxing, submissions, ground and pound, clinching, strength training, wrestling, and much much more. 

Rating – (5 out of 5)  In my opinion, CSW 2008 Camp DVD is one of the best Mixed Martial Arts instructional videos available today.  This is one of those videos that you will have to watch numerous times just to gather all the information.  It is worth every penny! Have a notebook ready!!

How to Order - Visit www.erikpaulson.com for purchasing information

Review By: Bruce Lombard, Certified Combat Submission Wrestling Coach. Titan Fitness, State College, PA