Is that a Power Ranger in the MMA ring?

Now I realize that I was on a vacation of sorts for a week. As can be seen by recent posts, I was in Las Vegas at the 2009 APA National 8-ball Tournament, so I fell out of touch with recent news. But I never would have imagined that something like this would happen.

The Power Rangers are invading the MMA.

Well to be more exact, the former Red Power Ranger (tommy) otherwise known in real life as Jason David Frank is planning to jump into the Mixed Martial Arts ring. I can see the bets in Vegas now - even money he is knocked out in the first 2 minutes.

Perhpas that's not a fair thing to say. The Power Rangers acted like they had martial arts training. Except those were Japanese actors in the suits. And they were acting, not doing. Plus the fights were only slightly more staged than pro wrestling.

Could Jason David Frank really be good at this? Well he started training at age 33, so at 35 you would think he has some skill or stamina built up. Then again, that just makes him old and comparatively slower. But he does have his own style of martial arts, Toso Kune Do. He was inducted into the World Karate Union Hall of Fame
in 2003. He became a Black Belt at the age of 12, currently is a 6th degree black belt and owns 4 schools.

Is Jason David Frank a joke and publicity stunt or a real threat that everyone underestimates? Is the joke that the Red Power Ranger will see red - his own blood or that of his opponent?

Maybe I was wrong. Maybe the odds in Las Vegas are more along the lines of 15 - 1 against Frank winning. [If you know, please do tell] But I think that it would be worth a bet. Because if he is a publicity stunt, $5 is nothing more than a slice of pizza and a soda. But if this is real, and he wins, well then there could be some money to be won. Plus you know Frank will be the instant celebrity that is popular today.

Who knows, someone might even remember him without that funky Power Ranger suit.

Kimbo Slice, the UFC, and boxing - where they all meet

Kimbo Slice. That’s the name I hear all the time. It doesn’t matter that he is in the EliteXC, and that the UFC is an entirely different division. Mixed Martial Arts for many means Kimbo as many do not know the difference.

I mention this because I wonder how much of an effect has the recent loss by Kimbo done to the UFC and MMA in general?

Kimbo had perhaps the biggest media behind his success. Much of that press is due to the deal with CBS, and their desperate desire to make their investment profitable. As such, Kimbo had to be like Mike Tyson in his matches, lest the hype would be lost. But in fact it could be said that he was exactly like Tyson, versus Buster Douglas.

But this black eye to CBS and EliteXC seems to have invaded the whole industry. And many long-time boxing fans are even further put off by MMA. Of course there is no loss in enthusiasts of all types, like this woman.



So MMA has decided to mix boxing into the event. Matches between a fighter and boxer are set for January 2009. And the question is will that hype lead up to an interesting event that can draw boxing fans?

I think not. Boxing fans that don’t like MMA won’t be pleased with a loss to a non-boxer. The fact that the disciplines are so different insists that whatever style is favored will lead to a win. Thus in a 3 match event, with it being broken down to 2 of one style and a 3rd of another, the winner is most probably the style with the most matches. Which says nothing of the abilities or worthiness of the opponents.

This is exactly the reason why Roy Jones Jr. won’t fight Anderson Silva. If it’s 2 MMA fights, Jones will be embarrassed in front of his fans. If it’s 2 boxing matches then boxing fans will conclude that the MMA is a waste of time. And if a fighter of either discipline wins at the opposite style, fans of there’s will scream that the match was fixed - just like many of the fights of Kimbo Slice are accused. And then everyone loses.

The UFC needs the big money that boxing holds. They need to get the media attention that Spike Television just can’t provide (though it is considerable exposure). And they must avoid the media-driven black eye that CBS gave the industry with Kimbo Slice. In fact they must surmount the profit motivated exploitation that is the EliteXC on CBS.

But pitting boxers versus MMA fighters is not the way to go. Nor is baseless hype. Perhaps there just needs to be a fighter that is Herculean in style and presentation, again like a Mike Tyson. Someone the general public can cheer to lose as he wins repeatedly with style and speed – against obviously qualified opponents.

Is there another choice? Am I wrong about boxing vs. MMA? You tell me.

The UFC versus the Olympics - the fight to come

Imagine your favorite Ultimate Fighting Championship fighter, now imagine them adorned with an Olympic gold medal. Does that image get your blood pumping?

While some might find this idea a bit far-fetched it may not be exactly out of the realm of possibility. In fact it’s highly likely that some sort of UFC inspired change to Olympic wrestling is on the verge of taking part in the world competition. At least that’s what some in FILA, the international wrestling federation, and USA Wrestling believe.

Now what is being considered is not exactly UFC, nor it’s cousin Mixed Martial Arts. It’s a combined effort that includes aspects of both youth-oriented and commercially successful endeavours and aspects of traditional wrestling. This new format is called Grappling.

According to Jason Townsend of USA Wrestling

“It's going back to the roots. Real combat. Once you submit somebody or you get submitted, there's no question who is the better man. When you're getting choked, you really know that guy had you in a situation where he could have either broken your arm or your leg or choked you unconscious. For me, that's a much more rewarding experience than pinning somebody, which really fulfills no practical combat necessity.”

Now how does that sound? I would expect it’s likely to cause at least the same ruckus as was seem when volleyball and snowboarding were included in the Olympics. Though somehow I think this will pack a bit more of a punch. How bad do you want that gold medal now?