For The Hardcores

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  • The Uncrowned Phenom | Vitor Belfort | 1998 to 2009

    The Uncrowned Phenom | Vitor Belfort | 1998 to 2009

    “Victor Belfort”

    Live on Pay-Per-View television on February 7, 1997, you could see a hulking Brazilian fighter crash through your screen and step into the UFC cage. Referred to as “Victor Belfort” multiple times on the UFC broadcast and previously known as “Vitor Gracie” because of his association with the Gracie family, the man named Vitor Belfort is set to make his big screen debut. After beating Tra Telligman in the first round of the UFC 12 Heavyweight tournament, Belfort won the tournament championship by defeating Scott Ferrozzo in the final round. “Defeating” is one way of putting it, “decimating” is more fitting. Ferrozzo walked into two straight left hands like an undead soldier marching across enemy lines, then was dropped by one of them, and finished in less than 60 seconds of fighting. Although the legend of Vitor Belfort was born before he ever stepped into a cage or ring, it truly began on this night. A Carlson Gracie black belt and a bronze medalist in ADCC 2001, he was feared because of his Jiu-Jitsu prowess when he started fighting. However, once he won the UFC 12 tournament, he became feared for his striking. From this point on his striking would continue to evolve, and would be his preferred strategy moving forward. He used his Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu to become a great stand up fighter – a fighter with the ability to be aggressive and look to hurt his opponent, without fear of being taken down. Belfort is one of my all time favorite fighters, and along with BJ Penn, sparked my interest in MMA and got me excited for what was possible in combat. The pure blistering speed and explosiveness of his punches and kicks are something that to this day, in my opinion, have never been surpassed. 

    Scoring the Best Resume

    In case you haven’t read my other works in the “Uncrowned King” series, I have created a simple point-based system to help determine the highest ranked fighter. This particular system is flawed yet effective – it assigns points to each of a fighter’s ranked wins. In theory, the more points they have, the better their overall resume. To understand the framework, have a look at this article. 

    The Basics

    Organizations: UFC, PRIDE, Strikeforce, Cage Rage, Affliction

    Weight Class(es): Welterweight, Middleweight, Light Heavyweight, Heavyweight

    Years Active: 1996-2018

    MMA Record: 26-14 (1)

    Win Percentage: 63%

    Finishing Rate: 81%

    Best Wins: Randy Couture, Wanderlei Silva, Dan Henderson (x2), Rich Franklin, Matt Lindland, Luke Rockhold, Michael Bisping

    The Uncrowned Phenom

    Vitor Belfort has been a tale of two fighters since early in his MMA career. He exploded onto the scene in 1996, finishing his first 4 fights in less than 5 minutes. He was already being talked about as a future great during the broadcast for his UFC debut, but had yet to face anyone who was capable of exposing any weaknesses he may have. Belfort would make that “future great” prediction come true, but not exactly how the fighting world of the mid-1990s thought he would. While we know he won the UFC 12 Heavyweight tournament in 1997, another burgeoning heavyweight was making his UFC debut a few months later. Randy Couture (who, believe it or not, made his pro debut AFTER Belfort, at the tender age of 33) was debuting in the UFC 13 Heavyweight tournament, and beat both Tony Halme and Steven Graham to win the championship. This put Randy and Vitor on a path to meet each other, which is a path that will repeat itself throughout their careers. Since this is how the UFC churned out contenders in the early days, the two fighters faced off, the fight being dubbed as a title eliminator. This fight took place at UFC 15 and you have to remember that this is still 1997. It was a time when gloves had just become mandatory, and rounds still weren’t even a thing yet. New rules included no groin strikes, no strikes to the back of the head, no fish hooking, no head-butting, and no small joint manipulation. Given Belfort’s first 4 fights, he was the favorite going in, Couture being the underdog and perhaps to some, the sheep getting thrown to the wolf. This perception would play out the opposite way, with Couture largely dominating Belfort, taking him down and stopping him by punching him in the head until the referee stepped in. This fight is important in the history of Vitor Belfort’s career, as it became a watershed moment that stripped Belfort of his perceived wolf’s clothing. And the blueprint was born: withstand Vitor’s onslaught for the first few minutes of the fight, put pressure on him, and break him. This would become a recurring theme for the duration of Belfort’s career, one that he improved over time, but never fully outgrew. Thus the legend and simultaneous curse began, with multiple iterations of Vitor Belfort walking into the cage over the years. With that being said, he fought a lot of the best fighters at middleweight and light heavyweight during his era. Although he was briefly the UFC Light Heavyweight Champion after defeating Randy Couture in January of 2004, this result was marred with controversy, then Couture took the belt back 7 months later, and Belfort was never seen as a true champion. Herein lies the concept of “uncrowned king”, a fighter who had a lot of great wins over a lot of top guys, but never quite proved themselves as the best in their respective division. As a big fan of Vitor Belfort since 2007, I can say I’ve felt that on multiple occasions. In my time as a fan of his, he lost in his attempts to recapture gold against Anderson Silva, Chris Weidman, and Jon Jones. However, while it’s easy for me to sit in my dining room and type this, there’s no overlooking the fact that when Belfort lost, he only lost to the cream of the crop. His losses to Sakuraba, Couture, Overeem and Tito all emphasized his weakness, yet highlighted the elite skills of his opponents. 

    Punches To The Face
    Image courtesy of Zuffa LLC

    This brings us to Belfort’s first ranked win. Wanderlei Silva was a rising Brazilian fighter from Curitiba, who had a couple of decent wins, but aside from a single loss, his first few fights looked a lot like Belfort’s, but with Silva dealing out the punishment instead. 

    Event: UFC 17.5 (UFC Japan) | October 16, 1998

    Record Before Fight: 5-1

    Opponent: Wanderlei Silva

    Opponent’s Ranking: 6 (Middleweight – 199 lbs)

    Result: Win // KO (Punches)

    Score: 4 points

    When you initially watch this fight, you’re going to see Wanderlei Silva throwing a punch, Belfort countering, which then led to the knockout. The problem is everything happens so fast, that you have to slow it down to see what is actually going on. After a little feeling out, Wandy steps into range, looking to land something of his own. Belfort anticipates this attack and before Silva throws even a single strike, Belfort is hitting him in the face and chasing him across the octagon. A left straight starts the flurry, as Belfort follows him, he continues throwing alternating left and right hands until Silva hits the cage, when Belfort is finally able to finish him off with a left uppercut. By my count, Belfort landed 8 of 15 punches, and never gave Silva a chance to respond. An interesting tidbit about this fight is that Belfort wore boxing shoes (which he did in every fight in his early days), which means he was not allowed to kick. It’s unclear if he thought the shoes would give him more grip, or if he had another reason. He also takes more of a conventional boxing stance here, which ends up being an early version of the stance he would use throughout his career. Vitor Belfort gets the KO in 44 seconds, and gives us one of the best knockouts the sport has ever seen. Don’t blink. 

    Image Courtesy of Pride Fighting Championships and Zuffa LLC

    Event: PRIDE 9: New Blood | June 4, 2000

    Record Before Fight: 6-2

    Opponent: Gilbert Yvel

    Opponent’s Ranking: 7 (Heavyweight)

    Result: Win // Unanimous Decision

    Score: 3 points

    Vitor Belfort wants us to know he’s a human person. After losing to Kazushi Sakuraba in an effort that displayed Belfort spending a lot of time on his back, he wanted a more complete training, and moved to Brazilian Top Team. A big story at this time was Belfort’s move away from Carlson Gracie, as he had been a huge figure in Belfort’s life since he was a teenager. The move to BTT paid off, and in the first 10 seconds of this fight, we get an aerial view of Vitor landing a straight left, and a combination of Yvel getting dropped, and being off balance. This leads to a Belfort takedown, and gave him top control that would last the entire round. He constantly attacked with punches to the body and head in the first round, at one point hitting Yvel so hard that his head left the confines of the ring. Vitor put on the performance of a true wrestler, even using tactics like covering Yvel’s mouth with his hands. Bizarrely, at no point did Belfort operate with any sense of urgency on the ground, or look for a submission, which is what you would expect from a black belt. Throughout the fight there were multiple standups, even one that was openly protested by Vitor late in the second round. It’s hilarious to me that Yvel “fake” punched Vitor from his back as Vitor was protesting and being stood up, and Belfort was too upset to even notice, simply putting his head down as they stood up. The standup itself wasn’t surprising, as Belfort was keeping somewhat busy with punches, but not nearly enough to make it an entertaining fight. Because of his commitment to holding Gilbert down, it made for a pretty uneventful night, not really showcasing the striking skills of the Dutch kickboxer Yvel vs. the Brazilian “boxer” Belfort. Vitor did most of his work from open guard, occasionally gaining a half, but never making an attempt to pass from there. It was an uncharacteristic performance from him in the sense that the aggression and killer instinct that we’ve gotten used to was absent, and if anything Vitor Belfort showed an improvement in his wrestling and control, which moved him away from relying on boxing, and rounded out his game a bit more. Nothing extraordinary happened, but it was a solid win over a good heavyweight fighter that showed us an evolution of his game, and his maturity.

    Image courtesy of UFC and Zuffa LLC

    Event: UFC 46 | January 31, 2004

    Record Before Fight: 11-3

    Opponent: Randy Couture

    Opponent’s Ranking: 1 (Light Heavyweight Champion)

    Result: Win // Doctor Stoppage

    Score: 6 points

    A lot happened between the time Vitor Belfort beat Gilbert Yvel in PRIDE, and the time he entered the cage against Randy Couture. The Yvel fight came right after Vitor lost to Sakuraba at PRIDE 5, in a fight where Kazushi controlled and damaged Vitor on the ground with a variety of kicks, stomps and punches. Sakuraba wasn’t expected to be able to strike with Belfort, yet he proved superiority later in the fight, even dropping Belfort with a spinning back kick. Most of the success Vitor had in that fight was in the beginning, like most of his other fights. It was particularly bad for Vitor, who at multiple points even dropped to his back to get Saku to jump onto the ground with him. It was what happened on this night that convinced Belfort to move to a different training academy. Since that fight he went 5-1 (including the win over Yvel), with the only loss being to future UFC Champion Chuck Liddell. By the end of his PRIDE run he had beaten Yvel, Dajiro Matsui, Bobby Southworth and Heath Herring, and by the time he fought Couture at UFC 46, his striking looked much improved, as he was very competitive in a striking bout with Liddell, and stopped Marvin Eastman with one of the most horrific cuts ever seen in the sport, developing from a series of knees Belfort landed in the clinch. 

    Before this, fights against Matsui, Yvel, Southworth and Herring (all in PRIDE) turned into all but wrestling matches, with Vitor nearly completely abandoning all of his striking, with the exception of an occasional left straight. Vitor Belfort’s wrestling had seemingly caught up with his boxing, and his boxing was in the beginning stages of being a complete striking game, throwing his first low kick against Liddell and showing us knees for the first time against Eastman. Although Belfort had lost to Chuck, it didn’t lower his stock, and in fact may have raised it by virtue of his endurance holding up as good as it ever had. Despite Couture’s sheer dominance in their first fight, he would end up being a small underdog, with a lot of people feeling like Belfort’s improved wrestling and experience would make it a much harder fight than the last time. Some of that also had to do with Randy’s age, as he was 40 at the time the fight took place. Well, it was a much harder fight for Randy, but not in the way that you’d think. You’d have to ask him to know for sure, but I’d say the challenge ended up being more mental than physical. Less than 20 seconds into the fight, Belfort gets the clinch, and Randy is noticeably wincing as he stands against the cage. John McCarthy stops the fight to see what’s wrong, the cageside physician looks at Couture’s eye, and decides he can’t continue. It turns out that the only punch Belfort threw didn’t land at all, but rather grazed Couture’s eye with the stitching on the glove of Belfort. That leaves the only strike landed in the 49 second contest being a low kick by Randy in the opening seconds. Typically I would award 8 points to a fighter for finishing a world champion, but in this case I’m only giving out 6. Now if it was a punch that landed and caused a cut, which then forced the doctor to stop it, this would be a finish to me. But since this came from eye damage caused by a glove on a punch that didn’t even land, I don’t consider it to be a “stoppage”. Well, there we have it. It isn’t what anyone wanted, but Vitor Belfort is the undisputed Light Heavyweight Champion. 

    A Hole

    Vitor Belfort’s fight against Matt Lindland in January of 2009 came an entire FIVE YEARS removed from his world championship win over Randy Couture, and he was coming into the fight on a 3 fight win streak. Before we talk about Belfort versus Lindland, let’s go back in time, to right before Vitor won his world championship over Randy Couture in January of 2004. To be more specific, on January 9th 2004, Vitor’s sister, Priscila Belfort, was reported missing. At the time, his family had no information on her whereabouts, and no leads on what happened to her. If you’re keeping track, Vitor’s fight against Randy took place on January 31st, just four weeks after this happened. I know that win isn’t considered credible by almost all MMA fans (including myself), and that’s a legitimate stance. But fighting for a world title less than a month after your own sister disappeared off the face of the earth is no easy task and quite frankly, pretty fucking nuts. At the very least you would think Vitor would be questioning his motivation to fight, his will to train, and not to mention the pressure to find his sister and be there for his family. The fact that Belfort committed and gave everything to his family while still going through with this fight…tells you all you need to know about his mental strength. As of writing this article she has not been found, although in 2007, a woman “confessed” that she kidnapped and murdered Priscila. She and alleged accomplices were arrested, but Priscila was never discovered. Her family believes her to be alive somewhere. Now you get the post-fight celebration, right? There’s more than one kind of fight. If you’re interested in hearing the full story, there are multiple in-depth documentaries on the subject.

    Image courtesy of Graciemag

    Event: Affliction: Day Of Reckoning | January 24, 2009

    Record Before Fight: 17-8

    Opponent: Matt Lindland 

    Opponent’s Ranking: 7 (Middleweight)

    Result: Win // KO (Punches)

    Score: 4 points

    Now that we know what was going on with Vitor in 2004, his career for the next few years is put into perspective. Between August of 2004 and April of 2007 he went 3-5, with his wins being over Antony Rea, Kazuo Takahashi, and Ivan Serati. In late 2007 we see a more focused and improved Vitor Belfort, after his family received news of what may have happened to his sister, Priscila. After this news, Vitor rattles off a couple of wins, one of them over James Zikic in Cage Rage (winning himself a world title), and makes the move to Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas. This turned out to be a great decision for him, as his striking would continue to evolve under the tutelage of Ray Sefo and Shawn Tompkins. This hard work and commitment to furthering his skills paid off, and the first fight he had working under Xtreme Couture was against Terry Martin. There would be no need to question that decision, as he dominated Martin en route to a nasty knockout in the second round. Martin thinks a jab is coming and Belfort comes underneath with a lead uppercut, finishing the combination with a left straight that puts him out. I know I haven’t gotten to the Matt Lindland fight, and I’m supposed to by now, but you can see I have good reasons for typing all of this shit. The Martin fight was Belfort’s debut at middleweight, which would be his home for the next several years, and a home he enjoyed a lot of success in. Believe it or not, when the Lindland fight finally took place, Belfort was a slight underdog. A lot of people thought Vitor’s best chance was in the opening minutes, and if he did not stop Lindland early, he would spend the rest of the night getting beat up in the clinch or on the ground. I think a lot of fans saw this as a sort of Vitor vs. Couture 4, and even with Vitor’s recent resurgence as an improved fighter, still clung to the notion that Belfort was a great hammer but an inadequate nail. Matt Lindland was Vitor’s elder by several years, but aside from Lindland’s losses to Rampage Jackson and Fedor, he had been on quite the run over the last 5 years. Belfort’s head coach Shawn Tompkins (RIP) wanted Vitor to be aggressive, and look for the knockout. And boy did he ever, proving both his critics and his coaches right simultaneously. The way he did that was by knocking Matt Lindland out cold, giving us one of the most barbaric knockouts we’ve ever seen in MMA, to this day. Outside of a low kick to open the fight, all Vitor landed was a jab (slightly) a straight left, and four follow up shots on the ground, the last of which put Lindland out completely for almost three minutes. This scene stunned onlookers (myself included), as Matt laid on the ground not moving, for what seemed like hours. He finally woke up, had a neck brace put on him, and was taken out on a stretcher. I believe that was the day Vitor Belfort put all of middleweight on notice, especially in the UFC and Strikeforce. Since I skipped ahead and talked about different timelines without discussing every single fight and it’s place in time, I’ll provide you with a bit of context here. 

    Back For The First Time

    As you can see, Vitor’s worst run so far has been from 2004 to 2007, the few years following his sister’s disappearance. Vitor Belfort made his MMA debut in 1996 as a Jiu Jitsu fighter with power in his hands and bar room brawling tactics. By 2009, he was a well-rounded, technical fighter who played to his strengths and could follow a gameplan well. His move to 185 and Xtreme Couture were clearly great decisions and while they stimulated the growth of his physical skill set, more importantly contributed to a period of psychological advancement, where his experience and wisdom, as well as his ability to overcome obstacles professionally and personally, led to a greater sense of confidence, and composure under fire. In the Lindland fight we get our first reincarnation of Vitor Belfort, Vitor 2.0, or as I like to say, he was “back for the first time”. Belfort is a different fighter, and he wants us to know it. We’ve covered his first 12 years of ranked wins and next, I’ll cover the following six. 

  • Unique Technique | Karo Parisyan and The Art Of Judo

    Unique Technique | Karo Parisyan and The Art Of Judo

    That’s Judo! If you go back and watch Karo Parisyan’s fights, this is a word you will hear about 7 times per round. When he hit the scene in the early 2000s, Judo was not well-represented on the North American MMA scene. In terms of cage fighting, US fans dismissed this art as limited and didn’t see it as useful. Karo Parisyan was born in Armenia, and immigrated to America when he was six years old, in 1988. At the age of nine, he started training in Northern Hollywood under Gokor Chivichyan and Gene LeBell, who developed the Hayastan Grappling System. Between 2000 and 2003, Karo competed at the junior national level, winning 10 titles across the US and Canada. Five of those were gold medals. Karo made his MMA debut in 1999 and competed throughout the time he was winning Judo championships, getting his call from the UFC in 2003. Karo has stated that his interest in MMA always came second to Judo, only fighting to keep himself busy when he wasn’t competing in the former. Going to the Olympics was his dream and he competed in the 2004 Olympic Trials, but fell short of his goal. Thus, he continued his fighting career. Although he didn’t win a UFC title, he became the WEC welterweight champion, and went on to have a very successful career in multiple organizations. Karo became a sort of pioneer for Judo in MMA, and is now remembered for the uniqueness of his style, the Judo skill he displayed, and memorability of his fights. On top of that, he had quite the explosive personality, dividing fans and critics, but always spoke from his heart, and I appreciate that part of who he is. He was often humorous in his post-fight interviews, once even singing about himself to the tune of the US National Anthem from Borat, after his win over Josh Burkman.

    The natural Joe Rogan response of “You’re singing sucks, but you’re a fantastic fighter” couldn’t have been more fitting. In terms of Karo’s Judo, I am not an expert so I will just talk about some of the techniques he used, and show you what made him exciting to watch. He quickly compiled a 5-0 record as a professional in less than a year. By the time he got the call from the UFC he was 9-2 overall, with his only losses coming to the future UFC champion Sean Sherk. He debuted at UFC 44 against Dave Strasser, who was an experienced and well respected fighter. Here he is utilizing a Seoi Otoshi or “shoulder drop”. He drops to his knees and pulls Strasser by his arm and shoulder, flipping Strasser over his back. 

    Here is a Harai Makikomi, which is a hip throw. He uses Strasser’s own forward motion against him, locking in a kimura grip to control his upper body.

    He finishes the fight in the second round by using a Hikikomi Gaeshi, or “pulling in sacrifice throw”. This results in Strasser being flipped by Karo’s right foot, and since Parisyan already had a kimura lock, Strasser fell right into the submission and was forced to tap.

    He was also able to pull this off against a debuting GSP and almost achieved a straight armbar. It turns out GSP was already freakishly strong in his early days, and he wiggled out.

    He would lose to future all-time great GSP. After a 5-1 run in the UFC, he faced Diego Sanchez, who famously said “he won’t be able to take me down with any of that judo crap”. Karo was a small favorite over Sanchez, who came in undefeated in his MMA career, and held a strong wrestling base. Well he did take Diego down with his “judo crap”, but the fight turned out to be one for the ages. Two minutes into the fight, Karo showed us an Ouchi Gari, or “large inner reap”: 

    After Diego proved tough to keep down, the two clinched a bit. That’s when Karo hit a Harai Goshi, using his arm to control upper body, his leg to sweep Diego’s own, and his hips to flip him forward:

    When both guys neutralized each other on the ground, they went to war on the feet, before Parisyan took Diego down again:

    This time Parisyan used a Sukui Nage, or “scooping throw”. Diego would prove to be too skilled to be here for long, as he reversed the position and ended the fight on top raining down heavy shots. Sanchez would go on to win a unanimous decision. 

    Karo Parisyan wasn’t just skilled in the Judo department, although it was his strength. He never hesitated to throw heavy shots and engage in war on the feet. He threw a mean overhand right, often throwing it to close distance, or throwing it upon exiting the clinch. He even used his right hand to feint an overhand, then using it for an underhook to get a throw or set one up. He launched strikes with complete impunity, knowing that if he got taken down, he had plenty of weapons there too. Karo was a complete grappler, and had an understanding of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and ground positioning. He often transitioned between the two, adding in punches, elbows, and submission attempts. 

    Here’s Karo hitting an Ippon Seoi Nage on fellow Judo practitioner Dong Hyun Kim at UFC 94:

    The Ippon Seoi Nage is a throwing technique. We see Karo use both hands here to pick Stun Gun up by his right arm and throw him over his shoulder, landing on his back. 

    Here he is again using an Ashi Guruma. Karo presses the calf of his lead leg into Josh Burkman’s quadricep muscle, uses his upper body to rotate Burkman, simultaneously flipping him onto the canvas.

    Ninja shit. 

    When Karo faced Matt Serra at UFC 53, he exchanged strikes with Serra before catching a kick and taking him down. He lands heavy shots while postured up. Once Matt is able to get up, Karo follows, landing punches while trying to control his base (notice the slap Karo landed at 0:41 of the round). He then takes Serra’s back and transitioned to mount, all while raining down some serious ground and pound.

    I’d say this clip virtually sums up what the essence of prime Karo Parisyan brought to the table: 

    It’s a shame Karo was plagued by injuries throughout his career. The hamstring injury he sustained when training for a potential title fight with Matt Hughes was the beginning of the end for Parisyan at the top of the food chain, and he would start to decline after his loss to Thiago Alves in 2008. A lifetime of fighting and getting thrown on your head can shorten your body’s window for top level competition. Parisyan’s last fight in the UFC was at UFC 123, when he lost to Dennis Hallman by first round TKO in 2010. He continued to compete in MMA and after a loss to Jose Diaz in 2017 in a comeback fight, he retired for good. What I find most impressive about his skill set is his ability to implement Judo in his fights. Whether he was moving forward or backpedaling, clinching or striking, he found a way to make Judo work within the chaos of combat, at times seemingly at the most unlikely of moments. If you were fighting him, you were never safe, and always had to fight knowing you could get dumped on your head at any time. The chances are remote that we ever see a fighter like Karo Parisyan in MMA ever again.

    References

    Special shout outs to Sonny Brown, whose video on Karo Parisyan helped me write this article.

    1. Sonny Brown. “Judo Throws in MMA – A Study of Karo Parisyan”. YouTube, 2 October 2018, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n9odlO7y9Mg&ab_channel=SonnyBrown. Accessed 10 February 2025.

  • Time and Atmosphere: Low Kicks

    Time and Atmosphere: Low Kicks

    Legs. When you’re standing in front of somebody having a conversation or in line at your local supermarket, you see a pair of legs. Sometimes this person annoys you, and you’d like to take one of your own legs, and use it to smash one of theirs. Here is what a set of legs look like, in case you need a refresher:

    Locomotive in nature, human legs are also referred to as lower extremities, as they are half of our entire bodies. These limbs allow us to stand, walk, run, swim, jump, skip, and even hang upside down from trees. Given that these lower limbs are pivotal for the support of our upper body and upright movement, damage to legs can make moving around quite troubling. Since the point of combat is to damage your opponent, it’s only natural that human legs would be a huge target of attack for fighters. That’s where low kicks come in. Today, we will be talking specifically about the history of Dutch low kicks.

    It’s incredibly difficult to pin down exactly when the first low kick was introduced, given that the first illustrations depicting martial arts are estimated to go as far back as 3000 BC. However, the first known mention of a low kick that I can find is in the epic story of The Odyssey – written by Homer in the 7th century BC. It is estimated to be authored between 700-750 BC. Page 228 of the English version reads:

    “With that he passed by, and as he did so the fool landed a kick on Odysseus’ hip”[12]

    We obviously don’t know the exact technique Homer is talking about here, and we also don’t know if was just a matter of kicking Odysseus’ hip like you would if you wanted to get your little brother off of you. Whether or not this kick has anything to do with martial arts, this time in Greek history happens to be right around the time of the development of a combat system known as Pankration. This system is thought to have been founded around 700 BC, and it was introduced into the Greek Olympic Games in 648 BC[20]. This discipline had the hallmarks of modern arts we see today – punches, kicks, grappling and wrestling techniques. It was also used by Greek soldiers when they didn’t have weapons and had to engage in hand to hand combat[20]. These techniques have been described and depicted in art such as literature, illustrations, and statues. One such example proves relevance to this article –  an image of a man shown throwing a “front low kick”, estimated to be from the Archaic Period, which is between 800 BC and 480 BC:

    A Panathenaic amphorae (ceramic vase) depicting a man catching another man’s low kick, circa 500 BC

    This was over 2,000 years ago. The low kick you see being depicted in this statue isn’t one we are used to seeing today, as it aims to strike with the heel of the foot into the area of the quadricep, right below the hip. The purpose of a low kick is to do damage, disrupt rhythm, and limit mobility. What kind of low kicks do we (primarily) see now? Well, that’s what we’re here to discuss. In order to understand how this technique ended up in dojos and on televisions all over the world, we need to explore some of the history surrounding it. 

    Let’s fast forward to 1960s Japan. This was 60 short years ago and the country was a martial arts hub. Karate, Judo, Boxing, Professional Wrestling, and Sumo were all part of Japanese culture at this time, with room to grow. During the late 1960s, there was a Kyokushin Karate black belt named Kenji Kurosaki, who started developing his own style of Kyokushin, combining the techniques of traditional martial arts with the tactics and philosophies of Muay Thai. Here’s a quote from the previous article I wrote, entitled: “Joe Lewis: A Fighter Evolved”:

    “This was happening at a time in Brazil where some Martial Artists like Marco Ruas decided crosstraining was a good idea – parallel thinking by some of the great minds of Martial Arts.”

    In this quote I was referring to a phenomenon occurring throughout the 1960s and 1970s where martial artists were branching out and expanding their ideas on styles, techniques, practices, and philosophies. This shift was challenging the conventional ways of thinking that dominated martial arts for centuries. A lot of these changes were taking place because of individual martial artists and their ideas of what “combat” should look like – shaped by their upbringing, geographic culture, fellow martial artists, their own individuality, and other factors. Kenji Kurosaki was a black belt in Kyokushin Karate. Now reading the words “Kyokushin Karate” may make you visualize two guys in a karate gi breaking boards, making various hand gestures, and yelling “Osu!”. While that may be part of the discipline, Kyokushin actually differs from most other Japanese Karate forms, in that it puts a greater focus on more realistic fighting. It can be characterized by its aggression, hard sparring, and the importance of damaging an opponent. Most Karate styles consisted of light contact, but Kyokushin allowed full contact strikes in sparring. That simply wasn’t enough for Kurosaki, and he began to pull away from his sensei (Masutatsu Oyama, founder of Kyokushin Karate) in the late 1960s. So what made Kenji Kurosaki want to develop his own subsect of Kyokushin, instead of continuing to practice what he knew? 

    Into Oblivion

    In 1964, Kenji Kurosaki and two other Karatekas were invited to take part in a fighting challenge against three Thai fighters[6]. This challenge would involve these three martial artists flying to Thailand, and competing against three Nak Muays – all under Thai rules. The other two Karate fighters were Tadashi Nakamura and Akio Fujihira[7]. These two won their fights, respectively, with Kenji being the only loser in the bunch, falling to Rawee Dechachai by an elbow strike[7]. Kenji would see very little success in the fight, only scoring anything significant when Rawee got close enough, and he was able to throw him (which was legal under the ruleset). Rawee’s pressure proved to be too much for Kenji to handle. He landed a lot of low kicks, elbows and middle kicks, until he eventually landed the elbow that finished the job[3]. Disappointed with the loss but determined to learn from it, Kenji Kurosaki was inspired by his own experience in the ring, and vowed to create a style that held up better under pressure, and in different environments. Despite this personal goal, Kurosaki traveled to Hawaii and the Netherlands to help his sensei spread Kyokushin Karate across the world[6]. But, Kurosaki’s loyalty to Masutatsu Oyama would eventually come to an end. Although Kyokushin was closer to real combat than most other Japanese forms, Masutatsu Oyama insisted that practice still be performed bare fist, which meant no punches directly to the head were allowed[6]. Contradictory to Oyama’s own philosophy about Kyokushin being closer to street fighting, Kurosaki saw Oyama’s rule for what it was. Kurosaki subsequently left Oyama dojo in 1969 and started his own academy, eventually named “Mejiro Gym” (Mejiro being the district of Japan it was located in) in the same year[6]. It was here that Kurosaki developed the style that would come to be known as “Japanese Kickboxing”. He trained Toshio Fujiwara (who became the first Japanese “Kickboxer”) and Jan Plas (an important Dutchmen we will talk about soon), and created a lineage of insurmountable significance. 

    Japanese Kickboxing

    Now, what exactly is Japanese Kickboxing, and how did it differ from Kyokushin or Muay Thai? Well, it’s easy to conceptualize. The easiest way to think about it is to describe it as Kyokushin Karate with elements of boxing and Muay Thai, with a greater emphasis on damage and practical fighting application. Imagine a fighter with the technique variety and footwork of a karateka, the hand combinations of a boxer, and the speed, power and fluidity of a Muay thai fighter. Now this is how Japanese kickboxing got started and is the general framework, but it goes without saying that there are different ways to blend arts together. To illustrate this, here’s Toshio Fujiwara, prodigy of Kenji Kurosaki and the Mejiro style:

    Fujiwara’s background in the Chinese martial art Taikiken gave him a unique base, which would be proven by the way he moved inside the ring. Fujiwara started training in 1969 under Kenji Kurosaki and learned the Mejiro style, making his kickboxing debut the same year[22]. Toshio would go on to win the AJKA (All Japan Kickboxing Association) championship in 1971, and become the first non-Thai fighter to win a Rajadamnern Stadium title in 1978[22]. Unlike most Karate fighters, he didn’t bounce on the balls of his feet. Rather, he moved more like an elite boxer, using a lot of lateral footwork. He used this movement to dart in and attack, then retreat quickly either by switching angles or moving straight back, to avoid counters. His left high kick was as fast as any I’ve seen, and he sometimes preceded it with a low kick using the same leg.  Fujiwara had a multitide of weapons with his hands as well, among them his right cross and leaping left (lead) hook. He often lept into his strikes and upon landing, would be in the opposite stance, firing more strikes before his opponent could respond or recover from what he just threw. Although he wasn’t known for combinations in the conventional sense, he mostly threw one strike at a time, targeting different areas of the body and never letting his opponent rest or reset. 

    Although Fujiwara had an incredibly unique style that will likely never be replicated, why are we talking about Japanese kickboxing? All styles of combat started somewhere and were taught to martial artists, who then passed it down through generations – transcending borders, language, and culture. Every student has a teacher, and every teacher has students. Simply put, every martial art has a lineage. Toshio Fujiwara may be a rare specimen when it comes to Japanese kickboxing, but his game still aligned with its principles. Those employing this particular style generally combine traditional martial arts techniques with high volume and speed, with an emphasis on footwork and defensive responsibility. These fighters blend punches and kicks together really well, and display a wide array of weapons, bringing in Karate techniques such as side kicks and spinning attacks. In the above video you’ll see Toshio throwing teeps and even using the Thai plum to slam knees into his opponent’s face, which both came from pure Muay Thai fighters (Nak Muays). Since a lot of Japanese kickboxers have traditional arts expertise, we also see a lot of boxing influence in their footwork and defensive movements. There is a long history of boxing in Japan, and in the 1960s and 1970s, Toshio looked up to guys like Muhammed Ali and Floyd Patterson. It’s easy to see why this style has become such an effective striking art, carving a path for fighters like Masato Kobayashi and Masaaki Satake. 

    Japanese Low Kicks (Mejiro)

    Let’s summarize: So far we’ve discussed a little history on Kyokushin Karate and how Japanese Karateka blended it with Muay Thai and boxing to create the unique stand-up style known as Japanese Kickboxing. We also covered what legs are. There’s one more thing that we haven’t circled back to: low kicks. Low kicks are one of my favorite techniques in all of combat. It is a joy watching a professional fighter limp back to their corner, after getting their legs brutalized. With low kicks having been part of global kickboxing for decades now, they are also ubiquitous inside the combat sport of MMA. Given that we surmise (without certainty) that low kicks originated at least 2,700 years ago, we know it has evolved. That lineage has traveled through time and atmosphere, making it all the way to the Japanese form of Goju-ryu Karate around 1930, which is what influenced Masutatsu Oyama to include low kicks in his Kyokushin curriculum. We are obviously skipping ahead thousands of years in the martial arts timeline. Now if you’re familiar with Kyokushin low kicks, low kicks of the Mejiro style are virtually the same, with small modifications. If you’ve ever watched Kyokushin sparring or fighting, you’ll know that the style is built for close range, pressure-based combat. These guys have some of the most well conditioned shins on planet earth, engineered and calibrated for leg to leg warfare. In terms of range, most of their kicks are exchanged at a distance much shorter than we are used to seeing MMA fighters use today. This allows them to keep the pressure on their opponent, remain inside the pocket, and keep firing away with their hands. When throwing a Mejiro style low kick in kickboxing or MMA, the goal is to land your middle to lower shin on your opponent’s lead leg. The target area is your opponent’s mid to upper thigh, closer to their buttocks. Landing too high would risk injuring your leg on their hip bone, and landing too low would be dangerously close to their kneecap. Throwing the kick at a closer range only requires a turning of your lead foot to get the right angle on the kick, whereas throwing at distance works better with a small step outward with the same foot, at a 45 degree angle, about the same angle you would be operating in with your kicking leg. The further you are from your opponent, the smaller the angle will be. In pure Kyokushin, when two combatants are exchange up close, the kicker takes a bigger step outward with their lead foot, and throws the kick at more of a horizontal angle, parallel to the floor. This is almost like a Thai style kick, but with the lead arm extended backwards, and the kick being straight instead at a downward, chopping angle. Part of the Kyokushin curriculum is being able to throw punches and kicks in combination, and these specialists do that really well. If you’ve ever watched two Kyokushin guys go at it under knockdown rules, you’ll know it’s high intensity. However, one thing we can observe about these fights is that while these guys do throw both punches and kicks in combination, they often do it in one of the following ways: 

    1. Charging forward and throwing hands, throwing a low kick, then resetting and attacking with hands again

    2. Throwing powerful low kicks (or other kicks) that require them to load up

    The observeration here being that although Kyokushin fighters are adept at using both punches and kicks, they are often open for counters by virtue of either requiring a reset before striking again, or being off balance and out of position. Kenji Kurosaki aimed to solve that. Although there was little technical difference between the pure Kyokushin low kick and the Mejiro one, Kurosaki used the technique differently both philosophically and and tactically. Whereas both the Thais and Kyokushin Karate fighters wanted to land low kicks with power and intention, Kurosaki believed they were more effective when one emphasized speed and efficiency. He reinforced this by teaching his students to “slap” these low kicks as opposed to slamming the shin into the thigh, turning the hips over just enough to land at an upward angle, and stepping right back into their natural stance. These modifications are more than likely due to his background in Kyokushin, his experience in Thailand, and personal beliefs about what a real fight would look like. He saw low kicks as one tool out of an entire toolbox, one that didn’t have to be a primary method of attack, and could be used in a variety of ways. Kenji Kurosaki saught to make these low kicks more adaptable to any fighting scenario, coming within the flow of a complete offense. Whether a fighter was using this technique to hurt his opponent or disrupt their rhythm, it would be effective. 

    Dutch Kickboxing

    The genesis of Dutch Kickboxing is a long and storied one but for this article, I will only cover the absolute basics, to provide an understanding of history and frame of reference to operate within. Remember Kenji Kurosaki’s first student and world champion, Toshio Fujiwara? Well by 1975, Fujiwara had transcended Japan’s existing conventions and expectations, having defended the All Japan Kickboxing Association title four times[22]. He had been the reigning champion since 1971, but often fought in Thailand due to limited fighting opportunities in Japan, and every so often travelled back home to defend his belt again[22]. That same year, near an event hall in Tokyo, Toshio would stumble across three important figures in Dutch martial arts: Jan Plas, Peter van den Hemmel, and Jan van Looijen[4]. These three were looking at advertisements for a kickboxing event on the side of a building, and just so happened to peek Fujiwara’s curiosity[4]. He asked where they were from and upon learning they were from Holland, Toshio asked them if they knew Jon Bluming (Plas’ Kyokushin instructor, black belt in Kyokushin, black belt in Judo)[4], to which they affirmed. Toshio invited them to watch a kickboxing event that evening[4] and then introduced the trio to Kenji Kurosaki, who as we know, is the founder of Mejiro style kickboxing. All three of them trained at Mejiro Gym in Tokyo the following morning and started learning from the master himself. Kenji taught the Dutchmen his style of low kick and had them kick truck tires, bats, and bags of sand to condition their shins. They also learned elbows, clinching and throwing (which are all part of Thai boxing). These three men were taught the entire system of Mejiro kickboxing – by the end of 1975, they had returned home to the Netherlands to pass down this knowledge to other martial artists. Jan Plas started teaching this style in an old boxing gym in the same year until opening his own standalone gym called Mejiro Gym Amsterdam, in 1978[8]. Jan Plas would take this time to develop and teach his own system of striking now known as Dutch Kickboxing (and inaccurately referred to as Dutch Muay Thai), and would make Mejiro Gym the launchpad and gold standard in kickboxing for years to come. This team built Dutch kickboxing world champions such as Rob Kaman, Peter Aerts, and the earliest, Lucien Carbin, who was a first generation (Dutch) Mejiro fighter[8]. Lucien was also a coach at Mejiro and trained Kaman himself, along with future kickboxing stars like Alistair Overeem and Tyrone Spong. Lucien Carbin was the first known combat practitioner of the style of Dutch Kickboxing, and was a national champion in the disciplines of Savate, Muay Thai, and Kyokushin Karate. Although there are stylistic differences between Japanese and Dutch kickboxing, we will only cover the essentials. Generally speaking the Dutch have a more pressure based style that aims to put punches and kicks together efficiently, with more of a focus on throwing long boxing combinations, punctuated by low kicks. These guys are aggressive, well-conditioned, and full of elite skills. Here is a world champion putting those combinations together:

    Rob Kaman vs. Lakchart Sor Prasartporn 2, 1985

    Dutch fighters generally use less evasive footwork and rely more on head movement and the Dutch guard, which is essentially a modified boxing guard. Because of their hard sparring and training, Dutch fighters are known for their durability and toughness, with a “take two to give one” attitude, and are always looking for the knockout. Rob Kaman used a lot more footwork and switched stances, whereas Peter Aerts may be the best visualization of the pure Dutch style. A lot of Dutch fighters use a bladed stance with a slight bend in the knees, like Ernesto Hoost. Both Ramon Dekkers and Peter Aerts are examples of guys that had more of an upright stance, like Thai fighters do. Like Kyokushin, Dutch kickboxing puts a heavy emphasis on attacking the body, with both kicks and punches. Remy Bonjasky is another fighter who embodies the pure Dutch style, stalking his opponents, with a high defensive guard, and adding in his array of flying knees and kicks. 

    Dutch Low Kicks

    When it comes to Dutch low kicks, the technique is the same as the Japanese style. The mechanics of the kick come from Kyokushin, and regardless of a fighter’s martial arts background, most Dutch fighters learn it, and use it. I’ll repeat the two primary ways in which this kick is thrown: the first is throwing at an upward angle, turning your lead foot outward. The kick lands at around a 45 degree angle, slapping above the knee. Like Masato:

    Masato Kobayashi vs. Genki Sudo, 2003

    The other way we see is at a near 90 degree angle – not quite a Thai style chopping kick, but more parallel to the ground. Like this:

    Rob Kaman vs. Blinky Rodriguez, 1982

    There are many fighters that employ both styles of low kicks, and some that also incorporate more Thai into it. Both the Dutch and Japanese style aim to keep their head back when they throw these kicks, as to not put a big target in range for an opponent to counter. Dutch low kicks find the perfect blend of Kyokushin and Japanese style – kicking at close range without being vulnerable to counters, and following up kicks with punches instead of retreating or angling out. Some Dutch fighters even use kicks to close distance.

    Here is more of Rob Kaman, as he uses the low kick to get into range, then uses it again to exit.

    Rob Kaman vs. Lakchart Sor Prasartporn 2, 1985

    Here is the Lucien Carbin (one of Kaman’s coaches) throwing a low kick.

    Lucien Carbin vs. Asumu Inaba, 1981

    And of course, the Japanese pioneer Toshio Fujiwara throwing a mixture of horizontal and upward. 

    Toshio Fujiwara lands a whipping low kick circa late 1970s

    Toshio Fujiwara drops two opponents with low kicks
    a history of dominance

    Every fighter in this article has long been retired, and some have even passed away (Rest In Peace to Jan Plas, Ramon Dekkers, and Rob Kaman). But we are not so disconnected from these pioneers and champions. In fact, some of the most dominant fighting forces in the world are still using the Dutch style, and a LOT of combatants fighting in MMA today use the same method of low kicking. Nieky Holzken is a great example of the Dutch style in kickboxing. He’s a former GLORY world champion and tournament winner, and has been one of the wold’s best kickboxers for a long time.

    Nieky Holzken vs. Raymond Daniels at Glory 19 (2015)

    His kickboxing lineage would be Kenji Kurosaki >> Jon Bluming >> Cor Hemmers >> Nieky Holzken[1]

    Alistair Overeem is another Dutch fighter, having fought in both Kickboxing and MMA, and holds world championships in both. He comes from the same lineage, but took a different path.

    Alistair Overeem vs. Badr Hari, K-1 Dynamite (2008)

    His lineage would be Kenji Kurosaki >> Jan Plas >> Lucien Carbin >> Alistair Overeem[1]

    In MMA, we have Michael Chandler.

    Chandler has developed into a strong low kicker over the last several years, and it’s no surprise, based on where he trains. 

    Believe it or not, his lineage checks out:

    Kenji Kurosaki >> Jan Plas >> Henri Hooft (Kill Cliff FC) >> Michael Chandler

    There are more exceptional kickers in MMA like Jose Aldo, Edson Barboza, and many others. Some of them come from the Dutch lineage and some have more of a Thai style, and some use a blend of both. 

    We started here:

    Mejiro, Tokyo, Japan

    Travelled here:

    Amsterdam, Netherlands

    And eventually, ended up here:

    Deerfield Beach, Florida

    Here are some other important gyms in the development of Dutch kickboxing:

    Chakuriki Gym (Thom Harinck)
    Vos Gym (Johan Vos)

    In just 60 years, we have seen Dutch low kicks go from complete non-existence, to obscurity, and now to not just universal acceptance, but full assimilation and dominance. That is all thanks to people like Masutatsu Oyama, Kenji Kurosaki, Jon Bluming, Jan Plas, Johan Vos, Peter van den Hemel, Jan van Looijen, Thom Harinck, Bas Boon, Chris Dolman, Cor Hemmers, and many other names I haven’t mentioned, or have been lost to time. Long live the power of low kicks.

    References
    1. Kickboxing Tree (Unknown). “Kickboxing Tree.” KickboxingTree.Com, www.kickboxingtree.com/. Accessed 29 Nov. 2024.
    2. “Osamu Noguchi.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 12 Oct. 2023, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osamu_Noguchi. Accessed 29 Nov. 2024.
    3. Sylvie von Duuglas-Ittu. “Origins of Japanese Kickboxing – the Karate vs Muay Thai Fight That Started It All.” Muay Thai Blog & Journalism | Sylvie von Duuglas-Ittu, 28 Dec. 2015, 8limbsus.com/muay-thai-thailand/the-origins-of-japanese-kickboxing-the-karate-muay-thai-fight-that-started-it-all. Accessed 29 Nov. 2024.
    4. Dutch Kickboxing. “Dutch Kickboxing History.” Dutch Kickboxing, www.dutchkickboxing.com/history/. Accessed 29 Nov. 2024.
    5. “Mas Oyama.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 28 Nov. 2024, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mas_Oyama. Accessed 29 Nov. 2024.
    6. “Kenji Kurosaki.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 14 Nov. 2024, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenji_Kurosaki. Accessed 29 Nov. 2024.
    7. “Osamu Noguchi.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 12 Oct. 2023, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osamu_Noguchi. Accessed 29 Nov. 2024.
    8. “Jan Plas.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 20 Sept. 2024, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jan_Plas. Accessed 29 Nov. 2024.
    9. “Thom Harinck.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 26 Nov. 2024, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thom_Harinck. Accessed 29 Nov. 2024.
    10. “Chakuriki Gym.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 19 Nov. 2024, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chakuriki_Gym.
    11. “Rob Kaman.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 26 Oct. 2024, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rob_Kaman.
    12. Homer. The Odyssey, First ed., W. W. Norton & Company, New York City, New York, 2018, p. 228.
    13. Lawrence Kenshin Striking Breakdowns. “Why Dutch Kickboxing Dominates.” YouTube, 24 July 2022, youtu.be/ipqpeOWPy-U?si=vXY3as8e4FDwz6uE. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.
    14. GLORY. “GLORY 19 Virginia – Nieky Holzken vs. Raymond Daniels (Full Video).” YouTube, 6 Aug. 2015, youtu.be/XfmLLpC1Y9A?si=RTPos6kd0vKtVDva. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.
    15. MMA Museum. “K-1 Dynamite 2008: Badr Hari vs Alistair Overeem.” YouTube, 28 Aug. 2021, youtu.be/BgmDossYmtc?si=Bxv4RCKCO0qtNd30. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.
    16. K1. “K-1 MAX – Masato vs. Genki Sudo – Japan Tournament 2003.” YouTube, 23 Mar. 2012, youtu.be/L8X_ZQ-b8zk?si=bOY65DlLB2dBUA95. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.
    17. Mouseboxer’s Classic Kickboxing. “Lucien Carbin vs. Asumu Inaba (03/05/1981).” YouTube, 25 Oct. 2024, youtu.be/Xs2IfP0Xm7I?si=3PpsrjR-mXKnGpTk. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.
    18. Mouseboxer’s Classic Kickboxing. “Rob Kaman vs. Blinky Rodriguez (04/04/1982).” YouTube, 2024, youtu.be/u_iac6h5jdU?si=ziM-uOaSUQRRb7VU. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.
    19. vrx. “Rob Kaman vs Lakchart Sor Prasartporn 2.” YouTube, 10 Aug. 2020, youtu.be/o6y4TuquDFE?si=auMSfB4HF0Bf3Nl5. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.
    20. “Pankration.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 25 Sept. 2019, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pankration. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.
    21. Pankration Channel. “PANKRATION KICKS – ΛΑΚΤΙΣΜΑΤΑ ΣΤΟ ΠΑΓΚΡΑΤΙΟ.” YouTube, 13 Mar. 2021, youtu.be/RxOSLVWgN04?si=IKnKmrWf2NkVKybZ. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.
    22. “Toshio Fujiwara.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 28 Nov. 2024, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toshio_Fujiwara. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.

  • A Fighter, Evolved: Joe Lewis

    A Fighter, Evolved: Joe Lewis

     

    As a Martial Artist or Fighter, how do you test the effectiveness of the techniques you learn in training?

    Damage. 

    At least, that’s according to one of the greatest Martial Artists to ever live, Joe Lewis. One night in January of 1970, Joe Lewis’s telephone rang. Hollywood stuntman and student of Lewis, Lee Faulkner was on the other line1.

    Faulkner: I want you to fight in my upcoming event, the United States Karate Championships. 

    Lewis: I’m retired from point fighting, but I will fight if I can wear boxing gloves, and knockouts are allowed.

    Faulkner: If I get you a match, will you do it?

    Lewis: Fine.

    Faulkner: Who do you want to fight?

    Lewis: I want a Shotokan fighter, I don’t like their arrogance. 

    Faulkner: Consider it done.

    Although Lewis didn’t end up fighting a Japanese Shotokan specialist, he did fight, and knockouts were allowed. The contest took place on January 17, 1970 and was called “Pro Team Karate Championships” – the first full contact fight to have a USKA (United States Karate Association) belt on the line. In this context, full contact means punches, kicks, elbows and sweeps are allowed, with only a decision or knockout being ways to end the fight. The event took place in Long Beach, California at the Long Beach Sports Arena. Lewis ended up in the ring with a man named Greg Baines, a Kenpo stylist who was one of the best in the world at that time. Lewis wore boxing gloves and sneakers, while Baines wore gloves but chose to go bare foot6. Joe Lewis adopted a modified Karate stance: bladed with hands down, yet upright and long. Both men showed a great ability to neutralize each other’s kicks so the fight became a boxing match between two karate stylists. They also displayed stance switching, some hip feints, and great defensive movements. After a minute, Lewis established himself as the better of the two. He landed his right hook at will, seemingly baffling the (mostly) linear attacks of Greg Baines. These angles would prove to be trouble for Baines, as Lewis got inside the pocket, and landed yet another huge right hook. Lewis stepped back for a moment while Baines was dazed against the ropes, then went back on the attack, landing a wondrously fluid overhand right. The fight was over in just three minutes.

    A Sense Of Purpose

    When I watched the footage trying to determine where Lewis’s advantages were, it became painstakingly clear: Lewis was the better boxer. He displayed superior hand speed, punching technique, inside fighting, and ring IQ. Additionally, Baines was lacking in the areas where Lewis excelled, widening the gap between them. Had this been a karate match it likely would have been very competitive and yet, Lewis’s commitment to martial arts and willingness to cross train in other arts gave him a massive edge. In that sense, Lewis was ahead of his peers in American Karate – he trained under Bruce Lee and studied several boxers. Along with Bruce’s help, Joe Lewis closely watched Willie Pep for his footwork, Jack Dempsey for his explosiveness, Joe Louis for his inside fighting, and Ali for his tactics and mobility1. He actually trained with Sugar Ray Robinson and another boxer named Joey Orbillo – a less prominent but highly respected professional boxer active during the 1960s1. Lewis told James Lew in a 1981 interview that the double lead hook, which he landed frequently throughout this fight – was shown to him by Bruce Lee himself5. Because of his training with Lee and Lewis’s own personal philosophy, he didn’t believe in limiting himself to one style or specialty. Aside from boxing, Lewis trained in Kenpo, Judo, and even Folkstyle Wrestling7. At the time this contest took place in 1970, zero other promoters were organizing full-contact fights in the United States, and there wasn’t much crosstraining going on in American Karate. In other parts of the world, other forms of “Full-Contact” fighting were flourishing. In Japan, Sumo and Professional Wrestling were (and still are) massively popular, entertaining millions of Japanese fans. An underground movement of Vale Tudo was gaining traction in parts of Brazil throughout the 60s and 70s – culminating into the famous “Desafio” events of the 80s. This was happening at a time in Brazil where some Martial Artists like Marco Ruas decided crosstraining was a good idea – parallel thinking by some of the great minds of Martial Arts. By the time Joe Lewis took part in the first full-contact fight, he was already a decorated Martial Artist, having won both national and world championships as an amateur Karate point fighter. His debut took place in 1966 but by 1969, he was already becoming disillusioned with the rules, and frustrated with the increasing number of fighters winning matches by making little to no impact with their opponent1. Or as Lewis puts it, “a kid waives his foot at your head, and they give him the victory”. When I mentioned Lewis’s advantages against Baines, I was leaving something out. It wasn’t just that his boxing skills were sharper. Joe Lewis was simply a superior fighter – a special kind of athlete, a once in a lifetime talent. He had a unique way of moving and striking, knowing just the right time to launch the right attack. I believe his biggest asset was his mind for fighting. He simply understood positioning, timing, technique, leverage, and body mechanics in a way that few others could. Here is Joe Lewis in the first Professional Karate Championships opposite David Moon. Lewis lands a side kick on Moon, which appears to hurt him. 

    When the fighters reset, Moon switches stances, which was later revealed to be because of broken ribs suffered from the first kick. Lewis gets close and grabs Moon’s lead hand to distract him, then crushes the other side of his abdomen. Moon just couldn’t protect his torso fast enough. 

    One word comes to mind when I watch Lewis throw these kicks.

    DAMAGE.

    Throughout the 1960s, point karate in America was pretty unique. The rule set for the events Lewis were considered “light contact”, and would have been two combatants meeting on a hard floor (often a gymnasium) or large mat, wearing a full Karate uniform, and the parameters would look something like this: no strikes below the waist, full contact with punches and kicks to the body allowed up to the chest, light contact to the head (with “light” being up for interpretation). Fighters would either be bare fisted or with hand wraps, and bare feet. You’ve heard somebody use the term “pulling punches”, and point Karate is partially where that phrase comes from. Fighters would pull back on their punches to avoid making strong contact with the face, and you can see how that way of thinking can quickly lead to either heavier accidental contact, or virtually none. During the 70s and 80s, there were limited rule sets for full contact events:

    Full-Contact: Full contact above the waist, no clinching or throwing, minimum or continual kick requirement (meaning you had to throw a certain number of kicks in the fight, or it would just be boxing). This rule set was considered PKA or American Kickboxing style.

    International: The same as full contact but with low kicks and sweeps added, and no minimum kick requirement. This was considered WKA or freestyle. 

    International rules bouts at that time were closer to K-1 is now, which became so unique and popular throughout the 90s that its rule set became a global standard for kickboxing. In K-1, fighters are allowed to clinch. As of August 2011, S.T.A.R. (Standardized Tournaments and Ratings System) has Joe Lewis’s official full-contact (or kickboxing) record listed as 17-4, with an 80 percent knockout rate. Exhibitions aren’t counted because knockouts aren’t allowed, but I suppose Wally Slocki would have a different opinion on that.

    What Style Really Means

    Joe Lewis was a fighter who could adapt to any opponent or fighting scenario. He fought in small and large rings (or just on hard floor), with or without gloves, in uniform or in trunks. He seemed more likely to fight from an orthodox stance, and at other times (like against Bill Wallace in 1970), he would fight almost entirely from the southpaw position. Like most Karate fighters, he switches stances often and looked for different offensive techniques for each. In Karate it was difficult for anyone to stop his lead leg side kick from orthodox, and in kickboxing, his (double) lead hook from southpaw. He does feint quite a bit but mostly small movements, usually in the hips. Throughout his kickboxing days he regularly used his size and strength. You can see him grab a collar tie on Wally Slocki and use it to land some good inside shots:

    Joe Lewis finishes this fight with a beautiful knee from the clinch. This fight was supposed to be an exhibition but Lewis felt that Wally turned it into a real fight, and responded in kind. Muay Thai hadn’t made it to America yet, making Lewis the first fighter in the country to knock somebody out with a knee.

    In Karate he was an aggressive fighter, and often blitzed with multiple strikes. He did the same in Kickboxing but with few rules limiting the damage he could do, Lewis could pressure fighters with impunity, knowing he was a level above most guys on the scene in those days. He could check kicks really well and due to his dexterity, he could bring his lead leg up incredibly high. Watch him check this middle kick:

    Lewis could fight on the inside, kick from distance, bully guys, or play the matador. In his mind a fighter’s style depends on circumstances such as yours and your opponent’s size, specialty, strengths and weaknesses, and when it comes to environment it depends on factors such as floor type and ring size. He understood that real fighting takes place at any given time, with a variety of different opponents, in vastly different environments. Nobody comprehends that better than a guy that fought in the first full contact match in America with only heavy bag training and roadwork.

    Conclusion

    Joe Lewis had an extraordinary mind for fighting. This was evident in his getting a black belt after only 7 months of training, and competing after only 22 total months of Shorin-ryu Karate to his name. With this knowledge, it’s remarkable what Joe Lewis was able to achieve, and the legacy he left behind. He understood early on that point sparring wasn’t an effective way of measuring skill and ability, and he wanted to progress fighting in America towards something more realistic and practical. Lewis went on to create his own program called the Joe Lewis Fighting System, trained many students, and conducted seminars all over the world. He is consider by many to be the greatest Karate fighter who ever lived. 

    References

    _________________________________________________________

    1. MarktheMartian. “Joe Lewis Talks about Bruce Lee and Kickboxing.” YouTube, 21 Nov. 2016, www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXdG577px94.
    2. ‌Joe Lewis Lives. “Joe Lewis – What Style Really Means.” YouTube, 7 Jan. 2022, www.youtube.com/watch?v=DiKqWnXoRP0.
    3. ‌The Martial Arts History Channel. “1980s Full Contact Karate Joe Lewis vs Wally Slocki Ends with Vicious Knee to the Head (with Sound).” YouTube, 22 May 2022, www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4F7spuMV4s.
    4. ‌Maslak, Paul. “Standardized Tournaments and Ratings System AUTHENTICATED KICKBOXING RECORD of Joe Lewis.” Backkicks Martial Arts, 23 Nov. 1991.
    5. Maslak, Paul. “Joe Lewis on the Origin of Full-Contact Martial Arts – Martial Arts Encyclopedia.” Backkicks Martial Arts, 3 Nov. 2022, www.backkicks.com/joe-lewis-on-the-origin-of-full-contact-martial-arts.
    6. Joe Lewis (2nd Part) Full-Contact and Kick-Boxing. karate-in-english-lewis-wallace.blogspot.com/2008/09/joe-lewis-2nd-part-full-contact-and.html.
    7. “Joe Lewis (Martial Artist).” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 17 Aug. 2024, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Lewis_(martial_artist).

     

  • Three Japanese MMA Fighters With More Than 50 Fights

    Three Japanese MMA Fighters With More Than 50 Fights

    Japan has a decorated history when it comes to professional combat. As professional wrestling in Japan slowly transformed into full-on fighting in the late 80s and early 90s, an abundance of Japanese fighters made their way into the fold, from all different backgrounds and Martial Arts. Some of them had short careers spanning 15 or 20 fights, mostly in Japan. Others had long and prestigious careers, enjoying success all over the world. The three fighters I’m discussing here combine for a total of 236 fights, throughout 76 years of experience altogether.

    Yuki Kondo posing on fire

    Photo Courtesy of Giant Bomb

    Yuki “Sora” Kondo

    Record: 65-40-9

    Organizations: Pancrase, PRIDE, UFC

    Division(s): Light Heavyweight, Heavyweight, Middleweight, Openweight

    Yuki Kondo is one of the most underrated fighters to come out of the hybrid wrestling era in 1990s Japan. He has a background in Shorinji Kempo, which is a form of Kung Fu. Despite never having competed before, he decided to train under the legendary Masakatsu Funaki, and made his MMA debut at Pancrase 25 in January of 1996. He has amassed a shocking 114 fights – and I have yet to confirm an official retirement. As of this writing, Yuki’s last fight was on Christmas Eve of 2023, just seven short months ago. Kondo has fought a who’s who across multiple weight classes – names like Paulo Filho, Igor Vovchanchynn, Funaki, Minoru Suzuki, Guy Mezger, Tito Ortiz, Semmy Schilt, Dan Henderson, and Josh Barnett. Yuki did all of this despite walking around at less than 200 pounds. The obvious question is, what is the Kondo’s motivation for competing over 100 times? Simply put, he lived and breathed fighting in a way virtually nobody could ever conceive. He loved to grow and challenge himself as a Martial Artist, and inspire people all over the world to pursue their dream. In doing so, Yuki Kondo has left an everlasting legacy of desire and perseverance.

    Hayato Sakurai posing on fire

    Photo courtesy of Giant Bomb

    Hayato ” Mach” Sakurai

    Record: 38-13-2

    Organizations: Shooto, PRIDE, UFC, DEEP, DREAM

    Division(s): Middleweight, Lightweight, Welterweight

    For the first 5 years of his professional MMA career, Sakurai went undefeated. Winning the Shooto Middleweight Championship in the process, he boasted wins over Frank Trigg, Caol Uno, and Luiz Azeredo. After going 18-0, Anderson Silva dethroned him as the champion, handing Sakurai his first loss. Throughout the late 90s Hayato was one of the absolute best fighters on earth, getting a variety of stoppages such as armbars, toe holds, chokes, and knockouts, including his legendary comeback knockout over Frank Trigg. Post-Anderson Sakurai was still one of the best and most dangerous fights for anyone, taking names like Shinya Aoki, Mac Danzig, and former UFC champions Dave Menne and Jens Pulver. Hayato started as a Judoka but developed a well rounded skill set, favoring flying and jumping knees in the striking. He was an accurate puncher and measured counter striker with explosive speed, and had a dangerous lead hook. Sakurai retired in 2016 after 20 years of competition.

    Akihiro Gono at the UFC 94 weigh-ins

    Photo Courtesy of MMA Junkie

    Akihiro “The Magic Man” Gono

    Record: 37-24-8

    Organizations: Shooto, DEEP, Pancrase, UFC, Sengoku (SRC)

    Division(s): Middleweight, Lightweight, Welterweight

    The Magic Man. The Japanese Sensation. DJ GOZMA. Very few fighters are as ostentatious as Akihiro Gono. Known for his elaborate and often hilarious ring entrances, Gono made a name for himself in Shooto in the late 90s. He debuted in April of 1994 at Lumax Cup, which was the Japanese equivalent to UFC at the time – style versus style matchups. He made his way through the gauntlet of MMA organizations throughout the years – on top of everything listed above, he competed in Bellator, WSOF, RINGS, and even crossed over to kickboxing promotions such as Hero Legends in China, and Krush in Japan. Like Sakurai and Kondo, Gono fought well above his natural weight class – taking on guys like Shogun Rua, Dan Henderson, Chael Sonnen (who he took to a draw), and Denis Kang. Although he came up short against them, he holds wins over Hector Lombard, Crosley Gracie, Hayato Sakurai and Yuki Kondo. His biggest win was undoubtedly his come back against Gegard Mousasi, who had Gono hurt at multiple points during the fight. Akihiro was a spectacle to watch and played many characters when entering the ring, like a Japanese showgirl, or an alter-ego based on Japanese musical artist named DJ Ozma. If you don’t remember Gono for his entrances, you’ll remember him for his fighting style. Akihiro’s background was in Sambo and Karate, which was an uncommon combination in Japan. Like most other fighters during that era, he learned on the job while he was competing as a professional fighter, and developed into a complete fighter. He was a tricky striker, often using deception to distract his opponents before throwing his strikes. He spent a lot of time in the air throwing flying stomps and kicks. And when I say flying, I mean flying. Akihiro Gono never won a world title but if he were to be described as a journeyman; he would be called the enduring, extraordinary, high-flying, ultimate journeyman.

  • Five MMA Fighters That Fought in Multiple Inaugural Events

    Five MMA Fighters That Fought in Multiple Inaugural Events

    The sport of MMA as we know it was born in 1993, which was only 31 measly years ago. Since it’s so young, there is a short history. This makes it easier to look back, especially with the number of organizations we have seen in a brief period of time. With that being said, the majority of fighters have competed under multiple banners throughout their careers. Here are five MMA fighters that have competed in the inaugural event of more than one promotion.

    1. Ken Shamrock

    Organizations: UFC, Pancrase

    Pioneer and Lion’s Den founder Ken Shamrock actually made his MMA debut on September 21st, 1993 at Pancrase’s debut show Pancrase: Yes, We Are Hybrid Wrestlers 1. He faced promotion co-founder and future Japanese star Masakatsu Funaki. Shamrock eventually took him down and mounted him, forcing him to tap to an arm triangle choke. It wasn’t until two months later that he made his now famous debut in the octagon at UFC 1. Since it was a tournament format he fought twice that night, the first was making short work of Pat Smith via heel hook in less than two minutes. The second match-up, which turned into a historic rivalry, was that of Royce Gracie. Although Shamrock couldn’t see himself losing, he tapped due to a gi choke Royce applied. Ken went on become one of the biggest stars in the sport and finished his career with a record of 28-17-2.

    2. Dan Severn

    Organizations: PRIDE, WEC

    In October of 1997, the future UFC Hall of Famer faced UFC veteran and fan favorite Kimo Leopoldo at PRIDE 1. In a largely uneventful 30-minute bout that had even the Japanese crowd uncharacteristically booing, Severn finally secured a takedown in the last minute. That proved to be insufficient, as the fight was ultimately ruled a draw. Fast forward to 2001, The Beast was matched up against Travis Fulton in a rematch at WEC 1: Princes of Pain. Already having beat Fulton once, he was able to take him down early and control top position for majority of the fight. He won the bout via unanimous decision. Dan’s last fight was in 2012, and he finished his long career with a whopping 101 wins. His overall record is 101-19-7.

    3. Eddie Alvarez

    Organizations: Bellator, DREAM

    Before The Underground King ever ventured to the UFC, he was a champion in three organizations. In 2008, DREAM was founded in Japan by former top dogs at PRIDE and K-1. Eddie already had 13 professional fights at this point, having captured the MFC Welterweight Championship earlier in his career. On March 15, 2008, Alvarez competed at DREAM 1, in the opening round of their Lightweight Grand Prix Tournament. He faced notable striker Andre Amade from Chute Boxe Academy. After being dropped by Amade, Eddie recovered. He scored a takedown, then was able to mount Amade and finish him by strikes in the first round. Just a year later, Eddie made a grand entrance at Bellator 1 on April 3, 2009. He faced Greg Loughran, who hurt him early with a left hook. Alvarez came back to submit Loughran with a guillotine choke in the opening minutes of the first round.

    4. Shinya Aoki

    Organizations: DREAM, Rizin

    Although we already have DREAM covered, we’d be remiss to leave out The Grand Master of Flying Submissions. Known as one of the best lightweights outside of the UFC for a very long time, Aoki has competed in many high-level organizations. After 16 professional fights and going undefeated in PRIDE, Aoki also participated in the Lightweight Grand Prix at DREAM’s inaugural event on March 15, 2008. He was matched up against striking veteran Gesias (JZ) Cavalcante. In a bout that largely consisted of Shinya being out struck on the feet, he was frequently on his back, urging Cavalcante to jump into his guard. Later on in the first round, the fight was stopped after Aoki was shooting for a takedown and Gesias landed some controversial elbows. The fight was deemed a no contest. Seven years later, Aoki competed at Rizin Fighting Federation 1 on December 29, 2015. His dance partner was none other than Japanese MMA and Pro Wrestling icon, Kazushi Sakuraba. After a brief exchange, Aoki immediately got a takedown. The entire six-minute fight displayed Aoki landing hard ground and pound from the mount position. Sakuraba’s corner stopped the fight in the first round.

    5. Josh Barnett

    Organizations: Sengoku, Impact FC

    Josh Barnett is a man who has fought all over the world in many premier organizations including the UFC, PRIDE and Strikeforce. He is a former Pancrase and UFC champion. In 2008, the Warmaster himself fought at the inaugural event of Japan’s Sengoku Raiden Championship titled Sengoku First Battle. He faced PRIDE veteran and Judo stylist Hidehiko Yoshida, submitting him with a heel hook in the third round. Barnett later competed at Impact FC 1 on July 10, 2010 against heavyweight KO artist Geronimo Dos Santos. Geronimo had most of his previous fights in Brazil, facing very few quality opponents. Josh got a trip takedown in the opening seconds of the fight, securing mount position almost immediately. He would go on to finish Dos Santos in under three minutes.

  • Bas Rutten | A Modern Samurai

    Bas Rutten | A Modern Samurai

    Disclaimer: Since Bas spent the vast majority of his career fighting in Japan under the banner of Pancrase, he is ineligible to be covered under “The Uncrowned King” series. However, Bas fought and beat many top fighters throughout his career, including a few future UFC champions.

    El Guapo. If there is one name that all die hard fans of MMA and NHB recognize, it’s Bas Rutten. In the 1990s, Bas was the ultimate paragon. No Holds Barred was a brutal form of combat, and Bas was known as a particularly aggressive Dutch Kickboxing stylist. Yet, in a cult sport full of meathead tough guys and performance-enhancing substances, Bas brought honor, discipline, sincerity, and creativity to the ring. We all know that the supreme proving ground for fighters was the Ultimate Fighting Championship, even in the 90s. Although all but three of his 33 fights took place in Pancrase, he ultimately secured UFC Heavyweight gold when he beat Kevin Randleman at UFC 20. Before that, Bas already had wins over the likes of Guy Mezger, Frank Shamrock, Vernon White, Maurice Smith, Jason DeLucia, and Masakatsu Funaki. Bas did have two early losses to Ken Shamrock, but was unable to avenge those losses, as a third fight never materialized. Bas’ achievements in the world of Martial Arts are nothing to sneeze at: 5th Dan black belt in Kyokushin Karate, 2nd Dan black belt in Taekwondo, 1st Dan black belt in Judo, three time King Of Pancrase, and one time UFC Heavyweight Champion. Not too shabby for a guy who couldn’t train consistently until he was an adult because of his parent’s disapproval, and had zero ground training when he debuted in Pancrase. Not only did he exclusively have kickboxing experience when he transitioned to No Holds Barred, but he lived in Holland, which was known for its kickboxing academies, not its wrestling or jiu jitsu schools. He is well known for his punishing knees, and crushing low kicks. His liver attacks were so accurate and destructive that he may as well have patented any strike to that area, insomuch as Bas’ liver shots were as dangerous and effective as any fighter we have ever seen, past or present. Unlike “The Uncrowned King” works, I will not be covering all of Bas’s wins. I have selected a few of Bas’s individual fights to cover, in order to demonstrate the fighting prowess and tactical genius of El Guapo. 

    Pancrase

    Before we talk about any of Bas’s fights, it’s important to note that his first 31 fights were fought under a ruleset unique to Pancrase. This organization pre-dates the UFC and its early format was derived heavily from professional wrestling, since its founders Masakatsu Funaki and Minoru Suzuki were catch wrestling practitioners. I’m not going to list all of the original rules, but I will talk about a few notable ones:

    1. No elbows 
    2. No closed fist strikes to the head
    3. Five “rope escapes” are given to each fighter in each fight. If one person grabs the ropes, the fight is reset on the feet in the center of the ring. 
    4. Round times vary based on the format (standard bout, title bout, tournament bout) but as a whole, fights were one round. 

    I have read multiple sources that say early Pancrase rules consisted of one 15 minute round for non-title bouts and one 30 minute round for title bouts. Tournament fights would have been one 10 minute round plus one overtime. However, Bas has gone on record saying his early fights were all 30 minute rounds, which is what Tapology has documented. With that being said, there are a couple of important things to mention regarding the rules. In PRIDE, if their fighters got entangled in the ropes, the fight would be reset in the middle of the ring, with both fighters being placed in the same position. In Pancrase, if there is a rope escape or the action is taking place too close to the ropes, the fight is reset in the center of the ring. However, instead of them being put in the same position (if on the ground), the two fighters are stood up as they are at the beginning of the round. This rule benefits strikers, and it certainly aided Bas in some of his fights, although as you will see, it also hurt him at times. He admittedly had very little ground training early in his career, and was repeatedly taken down and controlled by wrestlers. But as far as striking is concerned, Bas was on another level. The other thing worth mentioning is while there were strikes allowed on the ground, they were discouraged by fans, and went relatively unused in Pancrase’s early days. Bas himself stated that he did not strike on the ground due to the perception at the time, but if his opponent did so, he then reciprocated. 

    The Basics

    Organizations: Pancrase, UFC

    Weight Class: Heavyweight, Openweight

    Years Active: 1993-1999, 2006

    MMA Record: 28-4-1

    There is a lot of interesting information written about Bas and even spoken by the man himself, as his career is well documented. However, I will only be scratching the surface here. Bas Rutten started competing in Kickboxing in 1985, going 14-2, with all of his wins by knockout. All of his fights were in Holland, which comprises part of the Western region of the Netherlands. He eventually had trouble finding fights, and subsequently worked as a bouncer and entertainer during the late 80s and early 90s. Dutch wrestler Chris Dolman was impressed by Bas’ physical abilities, and invited Bas to train at the RINGS Holland Dojo. Bas accepted and while he was training there in 1993, Japanese Pro Wrestlers Masakatsu Funaki and Minoru Suzuki scouted him, after seeing him knock out a certain unnamed RINGS fighter. In September of the same year, he made his debut.

    The Arrival

    Bas Rutten’s first fight in Pancrase was against pro wrestler turned fighter Ryushi Yanagisawa, who was also making his professional fighting debut. Bas originally thought he was going to fight 5×3 rounds, likely because of his background in Muay Thai. He was told the fight would be one 30 minute round. Yanagisawa opens with a rear low kick and when Bas counters with his own, Ryushi returns fire with a lead low kick. What followed from Bas was the right-side combination of a rear high kick that was blocked, then a right hand behind it. Bas first pawed his lead hand out, making Yanagisawa think about a lead side attack. Then Bas turned his hips and uncorked a right cross, uncoiling and driving forward like an aqueous machine, which then pulled back and constricted its wires, relaxing instinctively. 

    Yanagisawa fell over on his side and put his left hand up to his own face, checking for blood, seemingly in shock. Since Pancrase had ten counts, Ryushi got back up as the count was nearing its end, still dazed from the blow. The fight restarted and Bas immediately went on the offensive. He launched a lead liver kick, a right hook to the head, and went for the killshot. That would be a step-in rear knee to Yanagisawa’s head. Bas took the tiniest step to the left with his lead foot to create a different angle, and his leg rose up from the ground like a serpent, striking Ryushi’s left temple. When Bas threw the strike, the angle of his leg is such that it initially appears as though he is throwing a high kick, but instead lands the knee, widening the angle of his two legs like a Japanese war fan. Yanagisawa fell straight back on his tailbone, partially catching himself with his left elbow. 

    For a moment he tries to stand up but within a millisecond, he falls back and his head lands on the canvas, his body sprawled out on the mat. Bas checks on his opponent, who laid for a minute and eventually got up, with help. Not only did Bas win in 43 seconds, but he made that night the international debut of the Rutten Jump (which is a jumping split kick that he had certainly performed many times before), much to the crowd’s delight. He then followed that up with two front kicks, and ended it with a 360 degree round kick. The Bas Rutten era had begun. 

    Don’t Breathe

    Bas Rutten’s debut lasted 43 seconds. With his first fight in Japan out of the way, he didn’t want to waste too much time here, either. When he was fighting in Holland, he was known for being overly aggressive, and used brute force to knock guys out. In Pancrase, Rutten became a more focused and calculated fighter, living up to the technical ability that he displayed in the gym. Bas says this was likely due to his personal growth, as well as the respectful fight audience in Japan. Takaku was another 1-0 fighter, having made quick work of Vernon White by submitting him at Pancrase 1. After Fuke snatches a quick single leg there are a few brief scrambles, and Bas uses Fuke’s armbar attempt to get on top. Fuke, having never let go of Bas’s left arm, hooks his right leg or Bas’s left shoulder and turns his belly down, cranking on another armbar. Bas is unable to step over Fuke’s body to relieve the pressure and decides to drag him towards the ropes, while his arm is being cranked, and unbelievably, achieves a rope escape. After Fuke takes Rutten down again and looks for another armbar, Bas is able to get up, and this spells the beginning of the end for Takaku. As he drives his head forward into Bas to take him down, Bas grabs hold of a double collar tie, and lands a hard knee to the solar plexus. He looks for a guillotine and his corner yells “knee!”, to which he obliges, and shockingly lands the same knee he landed on Yanigisawa. Rutten was so locked in that instead of committing to the choke, he saw giant red flashing crosshairs on Fuke’s liver, and slammed his left knee into it. 

    The Shorts

    After a disappointing loss to Funaki in his last fight, Bas’s record dropped to 2-1. As the title above would indicate, This is Bas’s first fight without his patented pink (then faded and purple-looking) shorts. He loved these fight trunks, but Pancrase didn’t like them as much as he did. This was likely due to their bright color, and their use in Muay Thai, as opposed to the pro wrestling underwear worn by his Pancrase counterparts. Now sporting briefs, Rutten will face Vernon “Tiger” White – a fighter with perhaps a more questionable record than Bas’s previous opponents, coming in at 1-5. But Vernon, like Bas, had been another guy with a striking background, who was thrown into Pancrase with no experience fighting, and suffered losses against fighters with catch wrestling backgrounds, who took him down and submitted him. Tiger had a background in Taekwondo and displayed a great variety of kicks in his fights, but wasn’t adept at using palm strikes the way Bas was. White opened with a couple of low kicks, one outside, then one inside. Bas countered with a rear teep that whipped into Vernon’s stomach. Vernon didn’t like the way that felt – and immediately shot for a double leg takedown. 

    Bas sprawls and after a scramble, he goes hunting for a leg. The referee broke them up, likely due to how close Bas was to the ropes, and the two fighters stand back up. Vernon really didn’t like how hard Bas hit because he was looking for takedowns any time they exchanged in close. The second time this happened, Bas latched up a front headlock, and clamped down on White’s leg so he couldn’t escape the half guard position. Bas gripped tightly and cranked, his elbows pointed outward, his frame parallel to Vernon’s own. A few seconds later Vernon tapped, and Bas got in a full four Rutten Jumps before White was able to stand up. That’s a wrap. 

    A Clash Of Legends

    By the time Bas faced this next opponent, he had amassed a record of 6-2, with his only losses being to Ken Shamrock and Funaki. It’s no secret that Bas struggled with wrestlers, but he was improving quickly. At Pancrase 13, Rutten fought none other than Frank Shamrock. Nowadays we all know Frank as the brother of Ken, and as a former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion, WEC Light Heavyweight Champion, and Strikeforce Middleweight Champion. However, in December of 1994, Frank was in Tokyo making his debut against a dangerous striker. This is a tough first fight for anyone to say the least, and in retrospect seems unfair, but Frank was more than up for the challenge. In the first 20 seconds of the fight, Shamrock gets a blast double and drives Bas across the ring. Frank is able to achieve half guard before Bas uses his hips to elevate his right side, turns to his left and continues forward motion, pushing Frank to his back, and landing in half guard. Bas briefly considers an arm triangle and abandons it, and Frank reverses him nearly the same way he was reversed, and falls into Bas’s half guard. In modern Mixed Martial Arts, this next sequence would make hardcore fans scream in agony. Bas once again reverses Frank, takes his back, has a rear naked choke fully locked in, and the referee breaks up the action because Bas’s head was under the rope. 

    Once Shamrock takes him down again, Bas is able to get another reversal, and has Frank in trouble for a few seconds. At this point Frank is on bottom stretched out, Bas is on top and perpendicular to his body, with his legs straightened out, and his left arm wrapped around the back of Frank’s head. This is called a scarf hold position. Bas pulls Shamrock’s head towards his chest and looks for a neck crank, putting pressure on his spinal cord. In his own commentary Bas says he was looking to attack his arm as well, so perhaps he was looking to transition to an armbar or straight elbow lock.

    Frank counters by clasping his hands between his own head and Bas’s, stopping Bas from pulling his head all the way forward. Eventually Shamrock rolls to his feet. After a takedown by Frank and a few scrambles, Rutten attempts another rear naked choke, which results in him being mounted. On the feet Bas is doing damage, but he is ultimately taken down for his troubles, and most of this fight plays out on the ground. The fight ends with Rutten on top of Shamrock, landing some shots that aren’t necessarily punishing, but are pretty solid. Since this fight was a tournament bout in the first round of the King Of Pancrase Tournament, it was only one 10 minute round. Once the final bell rings, the fighters patiently await the judges decision, while Bas is looking for a contact lens that he lost. Bas recruits Frank to help him locate the missing contact before Shamrock is awarded a majority decision, which is something I ultimately disagree with. 

    You would think that since most of this fight took place on the ground, Shamrock getting the decision would be a no-brainer (because that’s where he wants it). However, like modern MMA, I think the judges were awarding the wrestler, younger brother of Ken Shamrock and potential future star, while favoring control and takedowns over damage and aggression. Watching the fight, it wasn’t a particularly difficult decision for me to make when picking Bas, as he landed hard on the feet. Once the two were on the ground, Bas was constantly on the attack, got on top of Frank several times, and had multiple submission attempts that were pretty close to being finishes. I counted five reversals for Bas in this bout, which is pretty impressive, considering he hadn’t been training on the ground for long. This would mark Bas’s third career loss, bringing him to a record of 6-3.

    The Rematch

    In March of 1995, just three months after the loss to Frank Shamrock, Bas was submitted by his brother Ken Shamrock again, using a defense that he thought would work. As a result of training with Funaki, he was overconfident, resulting in Ken surprising him with a painful kneebar. This ignited a fire in Bas, and he vowed to become a submission master so that he never fell victim to one again. He would respond to this loss by spending every waking (and unwaking) moment obsessing over submissions. Bas personally attested to putting his own wife into submission holds in the middle of the night while still asleep, putting illustrations of them all over his walls, and creating different variations of set ups and submissions to make them his own unique weapons. Consequently, Bas rattled off three impressive wins over Fuke, Smith and DeLucia, all by submission. By this time Bas was so feared standing up that his opponents tried to take him down and upon doing so, would find out that he’s just as dangerous on the ground. All of these events led to a rematch against Frank Shamrock, one that Bas desired greatly. This rematch took place in July of 1995, which tells you how active Pancrase fighters were in those days. 

    Shamrock opens with an overhand right that lands. He catches a teep that Bas makes contact with, and starts the second fight like he did the first one. This time Bas takes a different approach, gaining wrist control on both hands, with Frank being able to shake free. After about two minutes of control time and minimal damage, the referee stands them up. For all of Bas’s work disguising his kicks, Shamrock sure loves catching them, and is exceptional at doing so. Any periods of striking in this fight are brief, none lasting more than 30 seconds. At one point on the ground Bas reverses Frank. Inside of Shamrock’s full guard, Bas reaches and pulls his head off the mat, towards his own chest. Nowadays this looks more like a can opener to get the bottom guy to open his guard, in this case it’s clear that Bas is looking for a neck crank. Similar to the one he was looking for in their first matchup, but from a different position. Shamrock tries to stand up and Bas rolls for a leg lock, then transitions into a kneebar attempt. Right as he is about to have Frank in big trouble, his foot touches the rope and the fight is stood up. 

    About halfway through the fight, Bas opens his guard and kicks Shamrock off of him to stand up – an action that gets him a respectful bow from Shamrock. A later takedown sees Bas attack the legs again, with Frank fully stretched out in a kneebar before the two are stood up, again. Once they are back on the ground, Bas nearly locks in a triangle choke from the bottom before losing leg position and hearing the bell ring. The frustration is evident on the face of Bas, but the fight is over. As the fighters are waiting for the judge’s decision, you can hear Bas say “10 more seconds”, indicating that’s all the time he needed to get a finish over Shamrock. Bas has been on record many times saying that the rules in Pancrase regarding the ropes really bothered him to no end, and if he was allowed to keep the position until we saw a tap, that he would have more submissions on his record. He also said that he and Frank were friends, and spent a lot of time together in Japan. What’s interesting about this is that I felt Bas clearly won both fights. Although he was taken down at will in this fight, like the first one, he was the more aggressive fighter, and came closer to getting a stoppage than Frank did. Shamrock also improved on the feet, as he landed some good shots throughout the course of the fight, even taunting Bas, baiting him to throw something so Frank could get an opening for a takedown. I’m not going to pretend that these fights weren’t competitive though, because they were both close. For as little time as these two spent on the feet in their first matchup, they spent even less time standing in this contest. Bas wasn’t thrilled with his performance, but he was happy to get this one back. 

    Lion’s Den Continued

    Bas Rutten had a lot of fights in the 90s. Pancrase had their rule set centered on ring action, but also wanted to limit injuries, so that they could compete with pro wrestling programming. Therefore in a span of 31 months, Bas had 20 fights. In his 19th professional fight, Rutten faced Guy Mezger at Pancrase 26. Guy of course was (mostly) known for winning two alternate bouts in the UFC, at UFC 4 and UFC 5, respectively. He had both a wrestling and kickboxing background (along with other arts). The former was during high school, and the latter had him competing as a professional as late as 1995, the year he made his Pancrase debut. He had cross trained quite a bit and joined The Lion’s Den, which made Guy a unique opponent for Bas – a fighter who was dangerous both on the feet and on the ground. Out of all of the Bas fights I’m covering here, Guy was by far the most accomplished striker, and the most competitive with Bas on the feet. Bas seemed more weary of Guy’s ground game, as he felt he could beat anyone standing up (and rightfully so). Mezger was able to take Bas down early. As Guy gets double underhooks, Bas secures double overhooks, and Mezger uses those hooks to pull Bas nearly off the ground towards Guy’s own head, then uses that momentum to drive forward, taking Bas off of his feet. Mezger is able to stay in side control for a while, looking to isolate Bas’s left arm. He eventually takes mount and Bas recovers full guard, then the fight is reset. An aggressive Rutten rolls for a leg lock while they are standing and it costs him a position. This fight, like both fights against Frank Shamrock, consist of lots of ground exchanges, followed by brief segments of striking. The striking itself was very competitive in this fight, with the left hook being Bas’s best weapon. Mezger was mixing it up well with low kicks, knees, and some body punches. 

    The body work was impressive, as nobody had been able to work the body or legs the way Guy did. This certainly paid dividends for Mezger, as Bas was visibly tired later in the fight, and Guy was arguably winning for a large portion of the contest. I feel like Bas’s advantage in striking was the fact that he was dangerous from all distances, whereas Guy had a variety of techniques and was landing good shots, but couldn’t comfortably strike at every range without worrying about counters. Bas also had a power advantage and didn’t seem to be phased by anything Guy was landing. Mezger did not strike on the ground but had several takedowns, each lasting at least 2-3 minutes on the canvas. Although they both had success with low kicks, they both showed competent low kick defense, sporadically checking the other’s attacks. At almost 18 minutes into the fight, Guy had his knee on Bas’s belly, and Rutten looked tired. He was discouraged from the takedowns, and his hand was injured. That wasn’t enough to stop him though, as the fight was reset and he went on the attack. Guy took him down and immediately starting fishing for his right leg. As Mezger went for a kneebar, Bas grabbed Guy’s right ankle. This was during a period of time when heel hooks were banned in Pancrase, because of the frequency of injuries. This meant that we saw more guys looking for straight kneebars and/or ankle locks. There is a huge difference between a heel hook and a toe hold. While both involve some level of foot control and torque, a heel hook requires complete control of the foot, while a toe hold is more isolated to the front half of the foot, away from the ankle. Since I’m not a Jiu Jitsu guy, I don’t want to go any further. Instead, I will put some pictures here, and let you look up these submissions yourself.

    Here’s what a heel hook looks like:

    Here’s a toe hold:

    Countering the De La Riva with a Quick Toe Hold – BJJ Fanatics

    As Guy tries to stand and pull his foot out, Bas takes the ankle he has control of and uses both hands to twist it to his right, almost at a 45 degree angle. Mezger screamed out in agony, which would normally be considered a verbal tap. However, Bas let go of the submission and upon doing so, Guy tapped on the mat, and the referee confirmed his decision to stop fighting. If you look at the images above, you will see that what Bas Rutten did was more of a toe hold, as opposed to an ankle lock, which is what his official record says. Either way, Bas continues the trend of submitting fighters who are supposed to be better than him at submissions. 

    The Rubber Match

    I thought about covering the third Frank Shamrock fight, but I didn’t think it would be fun for myself or anyone else to write about three fights against the same guy. El Guapo had multiple rematches during his Pancrase career, as there were only so many heavyweights fighting in Japan at that time. One of such rematches was Jason DeLucia, for a third time. Having fought twice before, they were familiar with each other, but both fights ended quickly, Bas claiming victory by submission early in each of those contests. This time these two got to know each other a little bit, and it made for an entertaining and unusual affair. Jason opens with some nice side kicks and low kicks, and Bas counters with a rear body kick, followed by a closed fist punch. According to Bas, he was training to punch in the high chest area, and hit Jason in the throat. It appeared to land on his chin but could have hit his throat, but DeLucia’s hand is sort of blocking the view.

    Keep in mind that closed fist strikes were illegal only when landed to the head, so if it landed elsewhere, it would have been perfectly legal. Bas received a warning from the referee, and the action continued. Rutten liked to challenge himself in different ways in some of his fights. In this one, he told his corner he wanted to let the fight go on 15 minutes, then try to knock DeLucia out. That didn’t go quite according to plan, and pretty soon you’ll see why. In this fight it’s clear Jason took some lessons from their first two meetings, because he’s very aggressive, and is putting his punches and kicks together really well. 

    Bas is able to check some of the low kicks and do some good body work with right and left combinations. What’s notable with respect to the striking is that as Bas is covering up, DeLucia is looking to land shots around and in between his guard. It’s when Jason allows Bas to come forward, that Bas is able to cover ground and do some damage. About halfway through Jason gets a takedown and achieves mount, but gets stood up after a period of inactivity. In another exchange, Jason complains that Bas punched him in the face with a closed fist. If you watch it back, it appears to land in the upper chest area, near the clavicle bone, which would be legal. 

    It’s hard to tell, but since I don’t see DeLucia’s head move from the impact, I’m taking Bas’s word for it that it landed below the head. Regardless, Rutten is given a yellow card, which means a point is being taken from him. Less than a minute after this occurs, Bas lands a right straight to the solar plexus. He follows with another. DeLucia again claims Bas hit him in the head with a closed fist, even though it’s painfully obvious he didn’t.

    Bas is given a red card, which deducts two points from his score, if this fight goes to the judges. Rutten is visibly angry, and who wouldn’t be, particularly a competitor who holds himself to the standards that Bas does. In his own commentary, Bas states that at this point he wanted to take DeLucia out. What’s interesting is, the referee has no way of confirming the foul, but punishes Rutten for it anyways. El Guapo ups his tempo, at one point pushing Jason against the ropes, causing him to get thrown across the ring, almost falling. Bas then took advantage of a flaw in DeLucia’s defense, landing a right cross-left hook to the body combination, one he landed earlier in the fight. Jason falls backwards into the corner of the ring. He stands up on the eight count. Bas decided he doesn’t need head shots at all for this one. He drops Jason again quickly with a round kick to the body. DeLucia again cries foul, claiming the kick was low. 

    I think the referee is aware of Jason’s tactic now, and shows him where the kick landed, on his left hip. Bas begrudgingly shakes his hand, and this handshake precedes the next knockdown by a mere 5 seconds. Jason is back up again. More punishing body work from El Guapo. Surprisingly DeLucia doesn’t drop his hands, and Bas lands the final blows. He flashes the right hand in his face, forces him to defend, and comes around the guard with a final left-hook to the liver. Don’t piss off Bas Rutten. 

    The King

    By this time, Bas Rutten was a star in Japan. He had submitted Suzuki at the 1995 Pancrase Anniversary show to become the King Of Pancrase, and he unified, as well as defended that belt against Frank Shamrock when he fought him for the third time. His fight against DeLucia that we just analyzed, was not a title fight. However, this next one is. After brutalizing the liver of Jason DeLucia, Rutten looked to defend his King Of Pancrase title in a rematch against Funaki. Their first time meeting was in 1994, and it was Bas’s third professional NHB fight. Just 3 minutes into that fight, Funaki had him mounted, and cranked his right leg with a heel hook, forcing Bas to accept defeat. This time around, things would be different. Bas was a completely different fighter now, and he was ready to prove it. Bas was 18-4 coming into this one, and the biggest factor in this fight was the progression of Rutten’s ground game. For a lot of the fight, Funaki employed various tactics to initiate his leg attacks – leg-on-belly, leg-on-chest, and later on even pressing his shin bones onto Bas’s shoulders to attempt a kneebar. Bas had to survive a heel hook that had him in serious trouble, turning his leg away from him, his leg and body at nearly a 90-degree angle. He withstood it by pulling Funaki’s legs toward him, trying to relieve the pressure being activated by Funaki’s hips. 

    For the rest of the fight, Funaki was able to get Bas down with relative ease, but never came close to locking anything in. In fact Bas later uses these leg attacks to get up and push away from Funaki, looking to do some striking damage. One thing I noticed about Bas is that he has great timing – he anticipates when his opponent is about to strike, and he strikes first, landing on them before they are ready for it. We see this in spades here, and Funaki is unable to land anything significant. By around 14 minutes or so, Funaki is showing signs of fatigue, and Rutten takes advantage of it. He lands two consecutive right hooks in a row. 

    Funaki falls down, hands covering his face. Once the fight is restarted, Funaki immediately shoots as Bas collapses space between them, and lands a hard palm strike (hammer palm) to an exhausted Funaki on the ground. He is unable to get up right away so it counts as another knockdown. Funaki is clearly hurt but that doesn’t stop him from getting up. After a brief break for a rope escape, Bas feints a right knee and delivers a painful mixture of strikes – left hook, rear uppercut, left hook, and right cross. For the third time, Funaki is down again, only this time the fearless Japanese wrestler somehow recovers even faster, getting up before the ref reaches six seconds. The final exchange of the fight lasts for about 20 seconds, with Bas throwing everything in his arsenal, and it is absolutely brutal. 

    At one point Bas holds Funaki’s head with his left hand and throws an overhand right, but because of the space between them, the right hand ends up being a stabbing punch, like Rutten was impaling him with a sword right through his temple. Funaki can barely move at this point, after being exhausted and made to be a human punching bag. The final shot was a rear knee. Out of desperation, Funaki grabs a single collar tie and as he does so, Bas’s right knee meets his head with extraordinary force. Merciless. Bas ranks this as the single greatest performance of his career, outlasting the Golden Boy of Pancrase by dragging him into deep waters, just like he said he would. 

    When all was said and done for Bas Rutten, he retired in 1999 at the young age of 34. He would have one last fight in 2006 but ultimately, he had too many injuries to continue fighting. He started a successful career commentating in PRIDE FC and WSOF, acted in some movies, wrote some books, created some training equipment, and always finds a way to keep himself busy. His unbeaten streak of 22 fights following his second loss to Ken is one of the great runs in MMA history, and it’s crazy to think that 21 of those fights came in just 4 short years. Bas Rutten was ahead of his time in a brutal freakshow sport, a terrifying man who would pulverize your liver into dust with his fist, then visit you in the hospital the next day. He was a thinking man amongst his contemporaries, who could read your patterns, figure you out, and find a way to finish you. In his first fight against Fuke, he timed his knee right as Fuke was breathing in, knowing that a fully tensed midsection could not take that sort of blunt force trauma without collapsing. Bas was fearless in ways most of us cannot imagine, even when he was out of his comfort zone. He wasn’t afraid to try new things and in fact tirelessly pursued methods and moves not yet conceived, not just for their uniqueness, but for their functionality. In May of 1994, the day before Bas fought Kazuo Takahashi, he was walking the streets of Japan. He saw a massive screen on the side of a building promoting Pancrase, and playing some of the fight footage from recent events. While he is standing on side of the road, Rutten watches this play, and sees a fighter going for an inverted heel hook. He says to himself “I gotta try that”. The next night he fights Takahashi, tries the move he saw on the screen, and ended up breaking his leg with it. 

    We’ve all heard the term “Ronin” before – A Samurai without a master. In Feudal Japan this was considered shameful, and at times meant the samurai had no ties to his family or clan. The broader, more philosophical way of describing this concept is a wanderer or free person who finds their own way without belonging to a single master or place. The term Ronin describes Bas better than any other word I can imagine – a man armed with the sword of the desire for combat. With a comprehension of fighting above most of his time period, Bas moved around to different academies, collecting useful data. When he didn’t find anything valuable, he simply scrapped the superfluous, went elsewhere, and sharpened his sword. His corners consisted of his manager and a rotating door of fighters and athletes he discovered during his training sessions. Ultimately Bas always was (and still is) a man living of his own accord, looking for his own path in the debris around him. 

    Shout Outs

    Professor Jason Diaz of Ohana Academy for helping me understand the differences between a heel hook and a toe hold.


    Mike Davis and Chris Lytle of the Lytes Out Podcast. Their interviews with Bas were a tremendous help in writing this article. 

    References

    ——————————————————————————————-

    1. Bas Rutten. (2011, March 21). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bas_Rutten
    2. (hdmexiqtioner). Tapology | Bas Rutten. Tapology. https://www.tapology.com/fightcenter/fighters/bas-rutten-el-guapo
    3. (n.d.). Bas Rutten. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/@OfficialBasRutten
    4. L. O. (2023, January 10). Pancrase Years Deep Dive. YouTube. https://youtu.be/uuiI0gGz060?si=lyMLNw0ON5Eyd00D
  • The Uncrowned King: A Mathematics-Based Approach To Finding The Best Fighters

    The Uncrowned King: A Mathematics-Based Approach To Finding The Best Fighters

    A single fighter who holds the best resume in the MMA history has long been a topic of debate among fans and forums alike. Some believe this is simply a fable – a myth that litters the internet with incessant deliberation and cruel memes. When you consider the evolution of the sport, the number of organizations, and the sheer number of competitors across nearly three decades – it becomes not a matter of if, but how much MMA math is being used as the primary method of analysis. This “Uncrowned King” series does not intend to supply a concrete answer to this eternal question, rather it relies on data obtained using a mathematical-based analysis. Keep in mind we are not discussing who the GOAT(s) is/are – we are simply looking at the guys who consistently fought, were competitive with, and beat the best over a sustained period of time. The goal is to observe just what makes these fighters extraordinary – as well as stimulate the conversation about these athletes in a different way. Like any argument of who is or has “the best of” anything, selecting specific criteria is important in determining the best candidates. The following is the criteria and system I have developed for rating MMA fighters with the best resumé. I will use this framework to rank these fighters based on points awarded. The system I’ve created is based on my own opinion of what it means to carry such a distinction and is subject to change as we go through this process.

    Basic Criteria For Consideration

    1. This fighter must have at least 30 professional fights on their record and have 10+ years of professional competition
    2. This fighter must have competed against other highly ranked (top 15) competitors on a regular basis
    3. This fighter must have won at least 60 percent of their fights (winning is important, but there is wiggle room here)
    4. This fighter must have fought in a major MMA organization – PRIDE, UFC, WEC, or Strikeforce
    5. This fighter can be retired or active
    6. Their opponents will be judged by their ranking AT THE TIME of these specific fights
    7. These fighter selections will be ranked relative to the strength of their own divisions (whether a division is considered “weak” or “strong” is irrelevant)

    Points System

    1. Fight against opponent ranked 11-15 = 1 point
    2. Win against opponent ranked 11-15 = 1.5 points
    3. Finish against opponent ranked 11-15 = 2 points

    4. Fight against opponent ranked 6-10 = 2 points
    5. Win against opponent ranked 6-10 = 3 points
    6. Finish against opponent ranked 6-10 = 4 points

    7. Fight against opponent ranked 1-5 = 3 points
    8. Win against opponent ranked 1-5 = 4.5 points
    9. Finish against opponent ranked 1-5 = 6 points

    10. Challenging for a belt = 4 points
    11. Winning the belt = 6 points
    12. Finishing the champion = 8 points
    13. Fighting up or down a weight class = Bonus of 0.5 points

    Fight Matrix Historical Rankings: https://www.fightmatrix.com/historical-mma-rankings/generated-historical-rankings/?Issue=66&Division=2

    Each win that the particular combatant has against a top 15 opponent is documented and scored based on the opponent, weight class, and fight result. The points are then awarded for each contest. Once I have gone through each relevant fight, I add up all of the points. The fighters are given a final score, which are then ranked amongst the others. Keep in mind that I will NOT be covering losses, only wins against ranked opponents. In theory, the fighter with the highest score would have the best resume in MMA. The rankings of each fighter at the time of each contest will be taken from Fight Matrix Historical Rankings.

  • The Uncrowned King | Dan Henderson | 2009 to 2014

    The Uncrowned King | Dan Henderson | 2009 to 2014

    In the first part I published on Hendo, I covered all of his ranked wins while fighting in PRIDE. That included adding both welterweight and middleweight championship belts to Dan’s resume. In the second part, we will talk about Hendo’s success in the UFC and Strikeforce.

    Event: UFC 93

    Opponent: Rich Franklin

    Result: Win // Split Decision

    Opponent’s Rank: 10 (Light Heavyweight – 205 lbs)

    Score: 3 points

    On this night, we saw the long-anticipated bout between Dan Henderson and Rich Franklin take place. In a fast paced entertaining match up, Hendo used his wrestling advantage to take Rich down at least once in each round. With Franklin working back to his feet multiple times, he was able to land clean on Hendo many times – the left body kick being his most effective strike. Despite his efforts, Dan had some success of his own on the feet, and was able to get the split decision win.

    Event: UFC 100

    Opponent: Michael Bisping

    Opponent’s Ranking: 11 (Middleweight – 185 lbs)

    Result: Win // KO (punch)

    Score: 2.5 points (0.5 bonus points given for moving down in weight)

    UFC 100 became a legendary night for the H-Bomb hero we all know and love. During season 9 of The Ultimate Fighter opposite brash Englishman Michael Bisping, the two developed a vicious rivalry. Eager to put “The Count” to rest (pun intended), Hendo was aggressive early. In the second round Bisping started landing more frequently, although the observation of many was that he was circling towards to power side of Henderson. That proved to be his undoing, as he carefully placed his head right onto the path of Hendo’s most dangerous punch. Dan knocked him out cold, and landed his signature leaping superman punch to the head of an unconscious Bisping. Mario Yamasaki stepped in to save him, and The Count would remain out for minutes. It was and still remains to be one of the most brutal knockouts in UFC history, which made Henderson glad to have “shut him up”.

    Event: Strikeforce: Henderson vs. Babalu

    Opponent: Renato Sobral

    Opponent’s Ranking: 13 (Light Heavyweight – 205 lbs)

    Result: Win // KO (punches)

    Score: 2 points

    Hendo faced Renato “Babalu” Sobral in a fight that would lead to a title shot for Dan. After a brief feeling out process, Hendo landed a left hook and right hand that got Babalu’s attention. He shot for a takedown and there was a chaotic scramble that had Hendo spinning 360 degrees on his own leg, and ended with Henderson knocking Babalu out with some vicious ground and pound strikes.

    Event: Strikeforce: Columbus

    Opponent: Rafael “Feijao” Cavalcante

    Opponent’s Ranking: 11 (Light Heavyweight – 205 lbs)

    Result: Win // TKO (punches)

    Score: 2 points

    In a bout that saw Henderson getting dropped by Feijao early in the first round, the fight would become largely a wrestling battle in the second frame. The two came out trading heavy in the third, with Hendo landing a beautifully violent right hand. Feijao landed face first on the canvas, and you can guess what happens next. With this win, Hendo wins a world title in a second major MMA organization.

    Event: Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Henderson

    Opponent: Fedor “The Last Emperor” Emelianenko

    Opponent’s Ranking: 7 (Heavyweight)

    Result: Win // TKO (punches)

    Score: 4.5 points (0.5 bonus points given for moving up in weight)

    We all know what a win over The Last Emperor does for a fighter’s career and legacy. This was a short but chaotic affair. Hendo had Fedor rocked early with a left hook. After a bit of time in the clinch, Fedor dropped Henderson with a huge, bludgeoning right hand. As Fedor went in for the kill, Dan escaped to Fedor’s back and snuck in a short right uppercut for the ages, knocking him unconscious. That’s a middleweight knocking out a heavyweight.

    Event: UFC 139

    Opponent: Mauricio “Shogun” Rua

    Opponent’s Ranking: 2 (Light Heavyweight – 205 lbs)

    Result: Win // Unanimous Decision

    Score: 4.5 points

    Although both of these men had their own respective runs in PRIDE, surprisingly these two never met before this matchup. This was a war for the ages. Hendo would drop Shogun in the opening frame, and do so again in the second. As Shogun survived and the fight wore on, he would display his legendary durability by putting it on Dan late in the 4th and 5th rounds, nearly stopping him multiple times. However that would prove to be inadequate, as Hendo would walk away with a well earned unanimous decision that night.

    Event: UFC Fight Night: Henderson vs. Shogun II

    Opponent: Mauricio “Shogun” Rua

    Opponent’s Ranking: 9 (Light Heavyweight – 205 lbs)

    Result: Win // TKO (punches)

    Score: 4 points

    Three years later, these two absolute legends clashed again in a rematch. In yet another timeless battle, it was Shogun hurting Dan early and getting the better of him. Defending a takedown in the third round left Rua’s head exposed, just enough for Hendo to deliver a sneaky right hook. Dan unleashed hell on Shogun, finishing him within seconds.

    Conclusion

    Total Points: 64

    In closing, we can see why Dan Henderson is always talked about amongst hardcore fans as the having the best resume in MMA. Even without the UFC belt that eluded him later in his career, he was still the champion in two major organizations across two weight divisions. Including his losses, he fought a murderer’s row of opponents throughout his entire career. Not only did he display great skill and power, but he also exhibited a legendary toughness and durability that has immortalized him.

  • The Uncrowned King | Dan Henderson | 2001 to 2007

    The Uncrowned King | Dan Henderson | 2001 to 2007

    Hendo is one of the most revered fighters in the history of MMA. The reason he is listed first here is not only because of the sheer depth of competition from the very beginning of his career – but also the number of weight classes he competed in. Known early on as “Decision Dan”, Hendo used his Greco-Roman Wrestling credentials to take his opponent down to land ground and pound (and sometimes win close decisions). Just three years into his career, he had already beaten the likes of Carlos Newton, Big Nog, Gilbert Yvel, and Babalu over the course of two tournaments. Throughout his historic career, Hendo dropped his patented “H-Bomb” on many victims. His wrestling along with his power and durability carried him to some impressive feats: he is a former PRIDE Welterweight and Middleweight Champion, a former Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion, and is the second fighter to hold a belt in two weight classes at the same time. He also challenged for the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship one time, the UFC Middleweight Championship 2x, and the Strikeforce Middleweight Championship once.

    Scoring the Best Resume

    I have created a simple point-based system to help determine the highest ranked fighter. The system I created is simply too much information for this article so if you’d like to see exactly how I came up with these results, you can see the criteria here.

    The Basics

    Organizations: UFC, PRIDE, Strikeforce, RINGS

    Weight Class(es): Welterweight, Middleweight, Light Heavyweight, Heavyweight

    Years Active: 1997-2016

    MMA Record: 32-15

    Win Percentage: 68%

    Finishing Rate: 56%

    Best Wins: Fedor, Big Nog, Wanderlei Silva, Shogun Rua x2, Rafael “Feijao” Cavalcante, Michael Bisping, Renato “Babalu” Sobral, Renzo Gracie

    His Wins

    His defeat of Big Nog in 2000 was great – however, Nogueira had yet to rise to the legend he would later become in PRIDE against guys like Gary Goodridge, Mark Coleman and Heath Herring. Dan’s career ended just like it began – littered with top quality opponents. I will be omitting the three tournaments Hendo fought in early in his career, because they were openweight (and not in major organizations). In just his fourth pro fight he faced The Ronin himself, Carlos Newton. Let’s take a look at all of Henderson’s top wins. When looking at Hendo’s top wins, lets keep in mind that there are some notable differences between PRIDE FC and the UFC. The Middleweight division in the UFC had a weight limit of 199 pounds pre-UFC 33, and a limit of 185 pounds post-UFC 33. The same weight class in PRIDE had a limit of 205 pounds (what we now know as Light Heavyweight). For the purposes of scoring, we will consider 205 pounds to be Dan’s “home”, as he won two of his three belts there and that’s where his most sustained run of success was.

    Event: UFC 17

    Opponent: Carlos Newton

    Opponent’s Ranking: 15 (Middleweight – 199 lbs)

    Result: Win // Split Decision

    Score: 1.5 points

    After getting rocked early by a right hook, Henderson recovered and put Carlos on his back several times. Although he had to survive Newton’s own takedowns and submission attempts from the bottom, Hendo took home a split decision win after this back and forth affair.

    Event: PRIDE 13

    Opponent: Renzo Gracie

    Opponent’s Ranking: 4 (Middleweight – 205 lbs)

    Result: Win // KO (punch)

    Score: 6 points

    Dan’s next significant win was none other than Renzo Gracie – he had wins over Otsuka and Maurice Smith, and was the number 4 ranked Middleweight at the time. After stuffing a few early takedown attempts from Renzo, Henderson landed a powerful right uppercut as Gracie was shooting in. After two more unanswered strikes on the ground, the fight was stopped.

    Event: PRIDE Final Conflict 2003

    Opponent: Murilo Bustamante

    Opponent’s Ranking: 10 (Middleweight – 205 lbs)

    Result: Win // TKO (Punches)

    Score: 4 points

    Let’s be real here. Murilo was undoubtedly one of the best Middleweights on the planet for a long time. He stopped Dave Menne to win the UFC Middleweight belt at UFC 35, and defended that belt against Matt Lindland at UFC 37. At the time Hendo fought him, he was ranked at both 185 pounds and 205 pounds. This contest turned out to be a short one. After missing on a right hand, Hendo sprawled on a takedown attempt and landed a left knee to Bustamante’s face. He followed up with a barrage of punches and the fight was over in less than a minute.

    Event: PRIDE 28

    Opponent: Kazuhiro Nakamura

    Opponent’s Ranking: 10 (Middleweight – 205 lbs)

    Result: Win // TKO (Shoulder Injury)

    Score: 2 points

    Known for his flashy entrances to the ring, PRIDE Judoka Kazuhiro Nakamura was Hendo’s next opponent. After taking a right hand from Dan early on, Kaz shot in for a single leg. Moments later Hendo can be seen on the ground kneeing Nakamura in the head from top position, and the fight is stopped moments later. It appears as though Dan was pulling Kaz’s upper body towards him when throwing the knees, likely to generate more power. Within seconds, the fight was stopped due to an injury to Nakamura’s left shoulder.

    Event: PRIDE Shockwave 2004

    Opponent: Yuki Kondo

    Opponent’s Ranking: 8 (Middleweight – 205 lbs)

    Result: Win // Split Decision

    Score: 3 points

    Hendo then faced the experienced Kenpo practitioner and Japanese Gangster, Yuki Kondo. After being taken down and dominated on the ground for much of the first two rounds, Hendo came back to out strike and out grapple Fudoshin in the third frame. He ended the fight in side control and was declared the winner via controversial split decision.

    Event: PRIDE Bushido 9

    Opponent(s): Ryo Chonan, Akihiro Gono

    Opponent(s) Ranking: 5 (Welterweight – 183 lbs), 12 (Welterweight – 183 lbs)

    Result: Win // TKO (Punches), Win // KO (Punches)

    Score: 9 points (0.5 bonus points given in each for moving down in weight)

    I grouped Chonan and Akihiro together because Dan beat them both on the same night for the 2005 PRIDE Welterweight Grand Prix. In the fight against Chonan to open his night, Henderson landed two right hands in the first exchange of the opening round to knock the karateka down. He didn’t have to follow up for long, as the referee stopped the fight at just 22 seconds into the fight.

    After beating Ryo in the first round, Hendo went on to face Akihiro Gono. In the early moments of the fight, Dan dropped Gono with a jab. They spent most of the remaining time exchanging on the feet, which led to Henderson landing multiple Wanderlei-style left hook-right hook combinations. He dropped Gono against the corner ropes, and the fight was stopped at 7:58 of the first round.

    Event: PRIDE Shockwave 2005

    Opponent: Murilo Bustamante

    Opponent’s Rank: 3 (Welterweight – 183 lbs)

    Result: Win // Split Decision

    Score: 5 points (0.5 bonus points given for moving down in weight)

    Dan faced Bustamante for the second time at PRIDE Shockwave on New Year’s Eve in 2005. This time, the stakes were higher: The winner of this fight would not only win the PRIDE Welterweight Grand Prix, they would also become the PRIDE Welterweight Champion. More competitive than their first fight and much longer, the early parts of the fight were spent with the combatants exchanging takedowns and submission attempts. After multiple striking exchanges and several guillotine attempts by Henderson, both guys were exhausted at the sound of the final bell. Based on the damage done by Hendo over three rounds, the judges awarded him the decision. The score given to Dan here is based on the fact that while he did challenge for the undisputed belt, Murilo was not the belt holder and essentially the fight was for the debuting Welterweight Championship. At the time there was no PRIDE Welterweight Champion, Hendo would be the only champion in that division before the UFC bought out PRIDE FC.

    Event: PRIDE 32

    Opponent: Vitor Belfort

    Opponent’s Rank: 10 (Middleweight – 205 lbs)

    Result: Win // Unanimous Decision

    Score: 3

    After a disappointing loss to Misaki in a rematch that prevented Dan from exiting the first round of the 2006 PRIDE Welterweight Grand Prix, he faced Vitor Belfort. After a brief exchange on the feet early, Hendo was able to take Belfort down and control top position for the majority of the round. In the second, Vitor curiously pulled guard. Henderson capitalized on this by pounding away at Vitor’s skull for the entire round. While the third round look similar to the first two, the Phenom swept Hendo from half guard and was able to gain top position. Henderson was able to escape this a minute later, as he obtained side control off of a scramble and landed some heavy shots. Dan Henderson came away with the unanimous decision win.

    Event: PRIDE 33

    Opponent: Wanderlei Silva

    Opponent’s Rank: 3 (Middleweight – 205 lbs)

    Result: Win // KO (punches)

    Score: 8 points

    After beating Vitor Belfort at PRIDE 32, the very next event saw Hendo dethrone the reigning PRIDE Middleweight champion: The Axe Murderer, Wanderlei Silva. Wandy had held the Middleweight belt since 2001, defending it four times and winning the 2003 PRIDE Middleweight Grand Prix during his run. At Middleweight Silva was virtually unbeatable, so you can understand why he was expected to continue his reign of terror against Henderson. Dan, however, had other plans. After a quick takedown, Silva spent the first several minutes of the fight controlling top position in Dan’s full guard. Wandy ended the round by stunning Dan. Henderson was able to secure a takedown in the second, controlling Wanderlei and doing some heavy damage from inside the guard. In the third, Hendo failed on a takedown attempt and then eventually landed a huge left hook, which put Wandy completely out. Hendo landed his famous superman shot, and the fight was stopped.