Then and Now: What has changed in MMA since 2005?

A long term dynamic develops in every sport that sticks around for a while. A section of the fan base will inevitably compare the play of today to their heroes from yesteryear.  Whether it is the baseball fan that longs for the day where they didn’t have to worry about someone using performance enhancing drugs after every home run, or the football fan that yearns for the era of hard hitting and less complaining in the NFL. One thing is a common factor; this group wishes things would go back to

The Top 10 female fighters of all time – from Lucia Rijker to Ronda Rousey

UFC President Dana White has long gone on the record that the divisions in Women’s MMA are not deep enough for the UFC to support female fighters. That may be changing as women continue to make an impact in the sport, particularly on the heels of Strikeforce: Rousey vs. Kaufman.On the amateur fight circuit, this writer has personally seen female bouts double the attendance figures over an all-male card. If Dana White fails to see that aspect of it, there are plenty of other promoters who do, such as Scott

Return of the Dragon: Will UFC on Fox 4 be Lyoto Machida’s time to shine?

With the stakes for this Saturday’s UFC on Fox 4 well-known by now, Light Heavyweight challenger Lyoto Machida is not looking past his opponent Ryan Bader. He knows that the fighter who wins in the most impressive fashion on Saturday will find himself fighting against the winner of UFC 151’s Jones vs. Henderson title bout. That title shot is his goal, but he is wise to not look past any fighter towards the top of the UFC ranks. No stranger to title fights, Machida was the first man to tag Jon Jones with a

The Huntington Beach Bad Boy: A look back at Tito Ortiz’s five greatest fights

With Tito Ortiz being inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame prior to UFC 148, now is a great time to look back at the impressive body of work put forth by Ortiz. While many newer fans of MMA have seen Ortiz weather many storms that have impeded his momentum, there was a time when he was a nigh-unbeatable champion in the Light Heavyweight division. Before injuries, age, and a bitter feud with UFC President Dana White got to the former champion, Ortiz used a brutal mix of wrestling, conditioning, and

Five misconceptions about Fedor Emelianenko

As Fedor Emelianenko heads into what has been billed as his “farewell bout”, misconceptions about “The Last Emperor” continue to swirl around the internet. It is one thing for a fighter to be called “the greatest martial artist of all time” by promoters, fans and management times; it is quite another to receive such praise from a fighter’s peers. Shane Carwin, Cain Velasquez and others have gone on record saying that Emelianenko was one of the best.
Despite his record of 33 wins, 4 losses and 1 “No