Trash talk, Fedor’s legacy and MMA news

Posted on | August 19, 2011 | No Comments

Fighters voice their opinions

By: Nick O’Dea

MMA is becoming widely known as one of the fastest growing sports in the world.

Compared to others, however, MMA is still in its infancy and is still fine tuning all of the aspects of the system.

Since the UFC’s boom in the early 2000’s, with the success of the TUF series and after the recent movements of ZUFFA, many MMA fans are beginning to see a transition in the sport. Shifting from the once obscure no-holds-barred odd spectacle, the sport is becoming a more refined and mainstream business juggernaut.

The success of the UFC and Strikeforce have shown that new fans are ready and willing to embrace the sport, and a wealth of great competitors from around the globe have shown what the new generation of fighters are capable of.

Pete “The Secret Weapon” Spratt fought some of the top dogs in MMA during his career, from the likes of former UFC champion Carlos Newton to top contenders Josh Koscheck and Chris Lytle. He started in the sport more than 12 years ago.

Enson Inoue fought a number of MMA icons, such as former UFC heavyweight and light heavyweight champion Randy Couture and former Pride & UFC champion Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. He’s a 15-year veteran of the sport.

Bill “The Butcher” Mahood has tough contender Patrick Cote (x2) and former UFC light heavyweight champion Forrest Griffin on his fight resume.

Fight News Unlimited talked with these fighters and got their opinions on some of the recent events that have happened in MMA news.

FNU: How do you feel about the new generation of fighters coming up and who is the most promising/best fighter in your opinion who currently fights now?

Spratt: The new generation guys in MMA are just revolutionizing the game right now! They are younger than ever, more talented, more athletic and more focused on making great careers! As for who I feel is the best fighter right now in MMA, I would have to say Anderson Silva.

Promising studs Cain Velasquez, Daniel Cormier, Tarred Saffiedine, Chad Mendes, Dominick Cruz, Jose Aldo, Rory Macdonald…I mean there are too many to name! The young crop out there is limitless!

Inoue: I like Cain Vasquez and Ben Henderson!

FNU: Judging in MMA has been an issue for fans and fighters alike. With all the recent talks of bad judging decisions, do you believe that the judging system in MMA should be refined or changed?

Spratt: I don’t think that the judging system needs to be changed more so than the judges need to be more educated. Many times you have these boxing judges that don’t have a clue about the other aspects of fighting. There definitely needs to be judging clinics and a minimum amount of hours watching MMA fighting to be certified as an MMA judge.

Inoue: Yes, it would be nice if the judges had a little hands on experience doing MMA.

Mahood: When it comes to judging and officiating in general I have become MUCH more deeply involved now that I’m retired from fighting. I think, what needs to happen is a bigger emphasis on judge training. There are many judges that do not know the subtleties of our sport well enough to judge it. The thing is, 80% of judged fights are very obvious as to who won. It’s the other 20% where things get difficult. Judges are required to be able to decide a winner in extremely close fights. These close fights are the ones were better judge training would help.

Another thing is people will always complain on close decisions. Judging is subjective. Also on close fights, spectators are emotionally involved in the moment and are not concentrating on judging the outcome, rather they are involved in enjoying the fight (as they should be).

FNU: With the recent retirement of Chris Lytle and him stating that this is the right time for him to leave the sport; Do you believe it is better for a fighter to continue fighting after he/she has suffered a sequence of KO’s, such as Chuck Liddell, or do you think a company/management has the right to tell a fighter when he needs to stop?

Spratt: When it comes to the health of a fighter like Chuck’s situation, I think the promotion or management has every right to step in and make that call. We love and live to compete no matter what the cost at times and don’t always make the best decision. ZUFFA made the right decision with Chuck. Now Lytle on the other hand, what a storybook ending. That’s a script that you can’t write. What a way to end a career! He went out like he wanted and wasn’t forced to leave because of age or injuries. He chose to leave at this time to be with his family and I can’t do anything but applaud that!

Inoue: The management can suggest the fighter is at the end of the line but the final decision is the fighter’s.

Mahood: I believe fighters should decide what is right for them. In any good decision, people will listen to the advice of those close to them, but in the end your life and the decisions you make are yours, as are the consequences.

FNU: With the recent acquisition of Strikeforce by ZUFFA, people are claiming that the UFC hopes to obtain a monopoly on the sport. Do you believe it is good for the sport to have all the top competition in one organization, or is it better for fighters to fight in multiple organizations?

Spratt: Monopolizing the sport limits opportunities for fighters as far as having a bargaining chip and other options. Right now ZUFFA is the place to be, but there are a limited amount of roster spots. Fighters can still make decent livings fighting at other shows but to truly make the type of money to live comfortably you have to be at the UFC. Especially with the new insurance they are providing. It’s the best place to be. Other shows are the building places to get to the big show!

Inoue: A monopoly isn’t usually good for any sport but the way Dana is promoting and helping the sport grow I’m not about to say anything but “thank you, Dana” for sticking with our sport and making it what it is today!

Mahood: I think MMA is too big to be completely controlled by one organization. The UFC has been the flagship for our sport and its direction into the mainstream. The UFC is MMA’s “Coke,” but there will always be a “Pepsi” or “7-Up.”

FNU: With the recent losses and subsequent release of Fedor Emelianenko from his Strikeforce contract, there is a certain degree of criticism towards his legacy. Do you believe Fedor was the greatest heavyweight of all time?

Spratt: I can’t say I think he’s the greatest heavyweight of all time. He definitely had a great run but wasn’t facing the top competition on a consistent basis. He should be a light heavy in my opinion.

Inoue: His recent losses proves that he isn’t THE greatest heavyweight of all time, but he is definitely still one of the best fighters out there today. I hope he continues and gets back on track.

FNU: I don’t know if you have been keeping up with Chael Sonnen and his campaign against Anderson Silva, but he states that he believes he beat Silva for 23 minutes and deserves to be called the middleweight champion, even though Silva tapped him in the final minutes of the fight. How do you feel about trash talk and fighters causing controversy in order to sell a fight?

Spratt: I don’t really care for the trash talking. Sonnen did beat an injured Silva for 23 minutes but he came up one triangle choke short of being the champ. That’s his own mistake. 23 minutes just wasn’t good enough for that fight. Nobody really cares about Sonnen, but he had to do what was necessary to get his name out there in order to sell tickets, and he did just that. Had he not talked so much trash, there definitely would not have been a buzz for that fight, so he did his job outside of the cage, but not inside!

Inoue: He fought well but tapped in the end. Silva tapped him…. what’s the controversy?

Mahood: I think that Chael is really good at creating buzz. People love to talk about his latest interview or tweet. Conflict is what the fight sports are all about!! Ali was the best at pre fight hype and Chael is doing an excellent job getting people to talk about what he says, and that’s a powerful ability.

All major sports have “characters” for fans to love or hate. Either way, the fans are drawn and that’s good for the sport.