lastsonofkrypton007

I've always been critical about guys who cut ridiculous amounts of weight to compete at a lower weight class. To me it's cowardly. I always put it this way... It's like a fourth grader who can't beat other fourth graders so they drop down to third grade or second grade where they're a little bigger and stronger. Honestly. You remember there was always one big kid in school who was held back and everyone was afraid of him. Anyways, my views don't matter, and if it doesn't effect the fights or the integrity of the sport I don't have any grounds to complain.

However...

Recently there's been a ton of problems with guys NOT MAKING WEIGHT. This problem goes way back, but things have been picking up recently. Travis Lutter, Thiago Alves, Anthony Johsnson, Vitor Belfort, Gina Carano, Junie Browning (not that anyone cares...) Just to name a random handful...

My point is, the list goes on and on, and it only seems to be getting worse.

UFC 104 was a disaster as far as weigh ins go. Gleison Tibau and Anthony Johnson both coming in over weight.

What really sparked me to say something was the most recent weigh ins.

Alan Belcher and Wilson Gouveia are fight at 195 pounds now. (Both are middleweights...) Who's to blame for this one? Diego had to be weighed in twice. Shane Nelson had to weigh in twice. Edgar Garcia made weight AFTER the ceremony.

Not to mention the rash of weigh in DISASTERS on the Ultimate Fighter...

Now it seems like the UFC is bending the rules and creating 'catch weights' for when a fighter decides he doesn't want to make the cut...

So what's your opinion?

I think it's a little out of hand. It's starting to effect the legitimacy of the sport. It can go one of two ways. Either we can ignore all weight classes and find ways around the issue, allow fighters to cut ridiculous amounts of weight to essentially have an unfair advantage over those fighting at their natural weight class, go back to the early days of open weight classes and have the sport be dominated be Diesel *** freaks, OR something can be done to regulate the sport, maintain the integrity of the weight classes, and force fighters to make weight or suffer the consequences.

I would really like to know how anyone can defend this?

To be fair, I'm not against cutting weight completely. If you need to drop a few pounds to fight at a weight class where you're on an even keel with the other competitors that's cool. I just believe there should be a limitation in place.

The problem is when everyone is cutting 20 to 25 pounds to fight in a certain division. Say you weigh 175 pounds, it seems silly to pop up to 185 pounds, so you go to 170, the problem is the guys fighting at 170 naturally weigh 190 to 195 pounds OR MORE, so in order to have a fair shot at guys your own size you're almost FORCED to drop to 155. The integrity of the weight class is completely compromised.

I don't pretend to have all of the answers, but if the sport wants to maintain its legitimacy, professionalism, and integrity, than fighters have to make weight and something has to be done about the excessive cutting to get a size advantage.

When five fighters don't make weight on one card, something needs to be done.

(The fighters are blaming the scales, and that's a load of crap. All of the other fighters made weight. The scale wouldn't pick and choose who to find overweight, and other people on that card were cutting weight as well, so if it were the scales, EVERYONE would have been over.)

In Japanese mixed martial arts organizations, Pride had them, Dream still does, if a fighter or fighters intentionally stall the action, make no attempt to initiate an offensive attack, make no attempt to damage the opponent, or in general make no attempt to WIN, they are issued a yellow card.

A yellow card is a penalty card meant to be taken as a warning. If you're issued a yellow card, 10% of your purse is deducted. If you receive three yellow cards over the course of a fight, you're disqualified.

I believe that there's now a case that yellow cards need to be implemented by the UFC. Let's take Kimbo Slice vs. Houston Alexander as a SHINING example.

I'll get straight to it, Houston Alexander was fleeing the entire fight. He threw weak lead leg kicks and circled the Octagon as if he were going for laps. When Kimbo attempted to initiate a stand up exchange, Alexander threw one, possibly two techniques, and retreated.

He made no attempt to 'win' that fight. He made no attempt to inflict damage. He made no attempt to fight. He is a professional FIGHTER. Is there any excuse for this?

He should have been yellow carded two minutes into the first round.

I know what arguments to expect. He was following a game plan. He knew Kimbo had a bad knee, and he was trying to weaken the legs to move in for the kill. A valid argument. However, if he were trying to weaken the knee he should have varied his attack, threw more than a lead leg kick with NO power behind it, and initiated at least SOME of the action. Feint Kimbo out, try to get him to cross his feet, cut an angle and attack hard. He could have done SOMETHING. There is no strategy in blatantly running away. Another valid argument would be that he didn't want to stand toe to toe and trade with Kimbo. Who would want to do that? It's not smart. But there are things you can do. If you're so afraid of engaging that you flee the entire fight, don't accept the fight. Use footwork, attack when an opening presents itself, if you don't feel an opening is present, create one! Kimbo is not a master with his footwork, nor is he a master strategist. Something could have, and should have, been done.

Now I don't place all of the blame on Houston, Kimbo could have been doing a lot more himself. Kimbo had an AMAZING second round. He showed a lot of good, well rounded skills. Still, he could have cut an angle and threw hands, he could have stalked Alexander, cut off the ring, put him against the cage and engaged. He did a few times. It wasn't perfect, but he tried. HOW DO YOU FIGHT SOMEONE THAT DOESN'T WANT TO FIGHT? Even so, Kimbo should have been issued a yellow card as well.

Now I know there might be complications in getting the approval of various state athletic commissions, but it's not un-doable. There is an argument for the practice.

As for those who think strategy goes out the window and yellow cards just encourage brawls, look at Dream. If you've watched Japanese MMA, you know that yellow cards do not devolve all fights into bar room brawls. There are a number of very strategic fighters who work fine with the yellow card rule in place. (Shinya Aoki for example.)

No one should have to watch two guys circle stupidly around the cage for 9 minutes out of a 15 minute fight.

So what are your opinions? Do you at least believe the option should be considered?

I realize a lot of these fighters aren't making a lot of money, but when it's blatant that you're stalling, and it's blatant you don't want to fight, you need to do something.

Again, I'm a fighter myself so I feel I can say this, if you don't want to fight that's fine, just don't fight.

(For the record, I don't believe the fight was fixed. I just don't think Houston wanted anything to do with fighting Kimbo.)

In Pride if a fighter failed to initiate any offensive attack, fled from the opponent, tied up the arms and legs of an opponent and deliberately stalled, or made no attempt to finish or at least damage their opponent, they were issued a yellow card and immediately 10% of their purse was taken away.

If the UFC started issuing yellow cards I don't think we'd see near as many close/poor decisions.

Take a look at Couture vs. Vera. Couture stalled that entire fight, simply pinning Vera against the cage. If it were Pride, boom, yellow card, 10% of your purse gone. Three warnings and you're disqualified. Things would probably have went the other way. Stalling by hugging a guy against the ropes, or pulling the ol' lay and pray is no way to win a fight.

Then look at Shogun vs. Machida. Shogun had to chase Machida down the entire fight. I realize that Machida's style is to remain elusive and difficult to hit, but after a while it just looks like he's afraid to engage and it makes for a boring fight.

It seems all too common these days that fighters simply find a way to beat the system and get the W. as opposed to actually WINNING the fight. You gotta believe yellow cards would go a long way in solving the problem.

Dana White just posted this on Twitter. "Karo Parisyan has ****** over the UFC, the fans and his opponent again!!! He will not be fighting saturday or ever again in the UFC!!"

Anyone know what happened?

I'm planning on enlisting in the Army this summer. I'm shooting for a 68w MOS. Anyways, I have to take care of some personal things before I go and I'm wondering what are the best things I can do to prepare for basic and AIT? (Everyone always says run! And I've been doin plenty of that along with push ups, and sit ups.)

Also a more complicated question. What's the best way to convince your family and girlfriend that you're making the right choice? I'm catching serious flak whenever I even MENTION it but I'm 100% sure this is the right choice for me. What's the best way to earn my loved ones support of this decision?

Is there anything I'd be absolutely restricted from? I don't have astigmatism, just a little nearsighted.

I'd just like to say first off that before I decided to ask this question I combed through the archives and read a lot of similar (kind of) questions that were already answered.

My question is for those out there that have gone through the training, been deployed, etc. Either as a reply to this, or in e-mail or IM, I'm just wondering if you can walk me through the process. I've read the books and the websites, but I want to get a feel for the actual REALITY of the situation. The pretty lengthy training, the biggest road blocks, etc.

I think what sets me apart from those that have brought the subject up before is I'm not a couch commando who wants to play Rambo and be a tough guy. I'm planning on enlisting and to be honest, these are the fields that interest me the most. They seem the most challenging and rewarding.

Any help at all would be greatly appreciated.

Why do we stand idly by and accept unacceptable political authority when we, united as a people, have all the power to revoke that authority?