Fightstore MMA News

UFC On Fuel 10 wrapped up another action packed foray into Brazil, the card ended with 8 submission victories, making it the new record holder for the most submissions on a UFC card.

In the main event Fabricio Werdum cemented his place as one of the truly elite Heavyweights in the UFC submitting Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira and avenging his defeat to Big Nog from back in 2006 in PRIDE. The win makes Werdum the obvious candidate to take on the winner of Cain Velasquez vs Junior Dos Santos in their highly anticipated rubber match and raises the questions again of whether Nog should look to retire, he clearly has the skills to beat anyone outside the top 10, but with the number of wars and the beatings he has taken in his career (and until recently came back from to win) make the 37 year old look a lot more shop worn than other competitors who last to that age.

Werdum now has a 3 fight win streak and has submitted 2 of the greatest and most loved Heavyweights of all time in Fedor Emelianenko and Big Nog, along with his ADCC, and World Championship Gold’s his MMA scalps show he is one of the worst people to go to the ground with, that coupled with his Muay Thai which has grown leaps and bounds since his move to train under Raphael Cordiero, the former Chute Boxe striking coaches impact was there for all to see when Werdum picked apart Roy Nelson in his last fight, battering him from pillar to post with knees in the clinch as well as vastly improved punches. The Kings MMA Gym leader has helped make him a formidable opponent for anyone.

I’d be lying if I said many people tuned in to see Leonardo Santos tap William Macario with an arm triangle in the second round to win the Ultimate Fighter Brazil Season 2, however the pair put on a fun fight, and Santos showed why he is a multiple time World Champion in BJJ, in becoming the oldest man to win a season of TUF at 33.

The best fight of the night for me came in what I would call the real Co-Main event when Thiago Silva bombed Rafael “Feijão” Cavalcante. Silva looks the part of a bad man with his tattoos and throat slashing celebrations, but he showed major improvements in his standup, out jabbing and out landing Cavalcante. When Feijão began to tire he moved in for the kill hammering his opponent against the cage before crushing him with a huge uppercut and firing himself back into top 10 contention. (Both men failed drug tests so we will wait to see what happens there)

The Erick Silva hype train got back on track with a slick submission win over savvy veteran Jason High taking 1.11 to submit him with a triangle arm bar, Silva’s stock didn’t fall after his fight of the year candidate against John Fitch, but showed he wasn’t quite ready for the top 10, expect him to rack up finishes quickly and look to reach the top 5 in no time.

In the 2 other main card fights TUF Brazil season 1 fighters Rony Jason and Daniel Sarafian took home 1^st round submissions, along with every other fight on the card a Brazilian won (6 were Brazil vs Brazil), so if you are a foreigner and get offered a UFC fight in Brazil it may be a good idea to re-think!

The following fighters were awarded $50,000 bonuses.

• Fight of the Night: Thiago Silva vs. Rafael Cavalcante
• Knockout of the Night: Thiago Silva
• Submission of the Night: Erick Silva

Main Card:

Fabricio Werdum defeated Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira by Submission (Armbar, Round 2, 2:41)

Leo Santos defeated William Macario by Submission (Arm triangle choke, 2nd Round, 4:43)
Thiago Silva defeated Rafael Feijao by KO (Punches, 1st Round, 4:29)
Daniel Sarafian defeated Eddie Mendez by Submission (Arm-triangle choke, 1st Round, 2:20)
Erick Silva defeated Jason High by Submission (Armbar, 1st Round, 1:11)
Rony Jason defeated Mike Wilkinson by Submission (Triangle Choke, 1st Round, 1:24)

Undercard:

Raphael Assuncao def. Vaughan Lee (armbar, round two)

Felipe Arantes def. Godofredo Castro (TKO, round one)

Ildemar Alcantara def. Leandro Silva (unanimous decision)

Rodrigo Damm def. Mizuto Hirota (split decision)

Caio Magalhaes def. Karlos Vemola (rear-naked choke, round two)

Antonio Braga Neto def. Anthony Smith (kneebar, round one)

Building an MMA gym on the face of it should be fairly simple as there is not a huge amount of equipment required say in comparison to a weights or cardio based affair however it’s all a question of scale. You will need a variety of equipment including matting, heavy bags, focus and kick pads, boxing gloves, MMA gloves and the like depending on who is using the gym.  It might be that all the people training have their own personal gear it may not. This will obviously change some of the advice in this article but obviously read around it and find the advice most beneficial for you.

For the purpose of this article we are going to assume some basic stuff;

1. This is either for commercial purpose or a Co Op style gym where its a few people training in one place; maybe in a local hall or unit you have rented; a large garage etc.
2. Although you may not have a very large budget we will assume you have one and are prepared to spend money wisely
3. You have enough space for a bit of equipment, a good sized double garage will usually do it and then it’s all about equipment and safety.

Mats are going to be the first big issue (if not indeed the issue) and probably the biggest single spend unless you intend to put a cage in. If you have enough room for full sparring and the headroom for throws then you are going to need 40mm mats. The advantage of the thicker mats is they will allow for throws, takedowns and falls alongside just overall better protection. The downside of 40mm mats is the price.  A really good deal on these will be around £22-25 pounds per mat including VAT and to have a decent sparring space you will need at least 12 but usually 16-25 often substantially more. Jigsaw mats have the advantage of being easy to take up and down with relative ease and can either be left down or taken up after every training session.

If you chose to go with 20mm mats it may be wise to consider using some form of cheap underlay which will help cushion the mats further and avoid injuries to elbows etc when grappling.  20mm mats are ok for BJJ style grappling or as a light cushioning for stand up sparring where knockdowns may happen  on occasion however this is not the preferred outcome (for example as opposed to say for Judo or wrestling)

After mats then it’s all going to depend on what you martial arts styles consist of. For MMA we must assume at least some striking so a good quality heavy bag will be required. If you are only to buy one then 6ft is a must.  The reason for this is simply versatility.  A 6 foot bag can be used for boxing, kick boxing, clinch and even un-hooking it and using it on the floor to practice movement drills although this is generally not recommended as often that can pop the zip at the top.  Fairtex recently released a bag designed for floor work that has detachable straps for hanging as a punch bag which is an interesting technical innovation and could maybe replace the 6ft bag if your orientation is more towards grappling than striking. Heavy bags range in quality quite dramatically but you should be careful to get something of the highest quality you can afford. Cheap bags will split quality should last many years making them a sound investment especially for adults with some power in their shots. Make sure people in your gym respect the gear and use appropriate equipment when training with it.  Damage to bags from people striking them without gloves wearing rings etc is remarkably common.  6ft suggestions would be the Sporteq Muay Thai bag £139.99; Revgear 6ft bag £189.99; Fairtex Banana bag £199.99 or if you really want to go out there the Ringside 6ft leather bag is £299.99 all will make an excellent choice.

For a larger gym a range of bags is going to be necessary. I would recommend at least one 6ft, 5ft, clinch or bowling bag and a floor to ceiling ball as an absolute minimum.  Bags always raise the question of how to hang them. If you are fortunate enough to have very strong beams then you may be able to hang a bag using just chains and ceiling hooks however with most modern buildings you will need a bracket and importantly the correct fittings. The fittings you can purchase in the likes of B&Q are soft and often break on fitting so try to get hold of stronger versions used in construction.  Brackets vary greatly in price and often if you can find a local welder he will construct you something of a higher quality and at a better price than those you can buy whether its on Fightstoremma or anywhere else (there’s honesty for you!)

So you have bags and mats. What else?  A couple of kettlebells will allow a decent range of dynamic weights exercises and if you have the space and the budget maybe an Olympic bar and 100kg of free weights will certainly be useful.  Assuming you have at least one training partner a set of good quality Thai pads (Fairtex, Twins, Top King are great examples) and a set of Focus mitts will be essential and of course personal equipment such as gloves and sparring gear.  If you need to supply equipment for a group then pads and focus mitts are going to be a large expense. Compromising on quality will often mean you buy twice or three times so a cheap price often ends up being less of a bargain than you might think.  With Thai pads full leather construction and more than likely Thai made pads will outlast most the imitations from Pakistan, India etc however you can still pick up well made Thai pads without the hefty price tags Fairtex or Twins often ask.  DE Pads are full leather and at £89.99 RRP make a good alternative to the £110+ versions; Revgear Sports also make a good quality Thai pad for £84.99.

Focus mitts & Boxing gloves are a different case. Although many Thai manufacturers such as Boon make excellent quality pads & gloves there are also a wide range of good quality focus mitts and gloves retailing at under half the price of these premium brands but still delivering excellent quality and value. Pro Box equipment is great quality and good value with full leather sparring gloves for £42.99 and Focus pads for as little as £39.99.  Investing in high end gear is always a good move but if you need to purchase several sets then the savings you can make are possibly going to be worth it especially if you are on a tight budget then this is an area you can save those vital pounds on!

There is obviously a whole host of additional equipment you could put in; some medicine balls won’t break the bank (again Pro Box are a good buy) but the biggest next question is to Cage or not to  Cage?

A cage will be a major expense so usually refined to serious commercial gyms; A boxing ring can be made cheaper but doesn’t really offer the same training potential if you are practicing MMA.  The easiest alternative to a cage is to cover at least two adjoining walls with mats however  the pliancy of the wall is very different to cage mesh.  The compromise candidate is a cage wall or if you can a corner offering the training potential for wall walking and working your tactics and skills without the massive expense of a full cage.

Top King Boxing is a relatively new manufacturer in terms of Thai brands launching in 2009 however its style, quality and innovation alongside some bold marketing and sponsorship of many of the world’s best Thai boxers have seen this brand rise to the top of the Muay Thai Equipment tree in a very short space of time. Originally part of the Twins family Top King broke became a separate company and took in many ways modernised the style and designs of many popular Thai boxing lines.  Distinctly “Thai” and yet much more flamboyant than Twins or the more Western feeling Fairtex brand Topking have carved out a massive fan base both in Thailand and all over the world.

For any Thai boxing brand the key products are Gloves, Shorts, Thai pads and Shinguards; Every one of these product lines are a sought after product in the UK, their design and style certainly appealing to the younger generation of Thai boxers.

Top King Boxing gloves were originally quite large in size but more recent designs have followed the Thai trend and slimmed down their hand compartments and overall glove size. The Super Air and Super star ranges come in a wide range of colours and overall are a more sensible sized glove compared to the larger designs of 2010/11 much like their Twins counterparts.  The fancy print of Twins was replaced by the Empower boxing range which proved extremely popular and in 2012 they launched Superstar which again showed off the flamboyant side of the brand.  Core gloves come in both “ultimate” and “Air” designs across the range whilst their lace up competition gloves mix style with very high quality.

The single most popular product in the Topking range has to be their shinguards in a massive range of colours. The Empower and Superstar ranges match the gloves for the ever more fashion conscious Muay Thai fighter whilst the most popular design is the simple black leather Pro Shinguards with a design now copied by many other Thai brands aswell as several American manufacturers; the Top King Pro shinguard is a modern classic.

Thai pads are always a benchmark product with Thai brands and the whilst earlier Top King pads were popular they were certainly a different feel to many others o the market at the time.  Now Top king offer two lines “Super” and “Ultimate” of Thai kick pads; the super is more standard in shape and size whilst the Ultimate smaller and more rounded. A criticism of Top King Thai pads was the weight of the pads which can become an issue when coaches are padding for many rounds or doing long hours on one to one coaching however they have won many accolades and will be a design used for many years to come.

Top King Thai shorts retain a distinctly traditional feel whilst having a vast range of excellent designs in such volume that many other manufacturers struggle to match. They are certainly one of the most popular thai shorts brands around and it’s easy to see why.  Some of the top end of the shorts ranges resemble boxing trunks with sequins, lizard effect scales and tassels making them desirable for many top fighters.

With sponsored fighters from around the globe such as Kem Sitsongpeenong, Berneung, Steve Wakling, Hiroya, Fadi Merza and Julie Kitchen its certain that Top King is a brand that will continue to excel in the Muay Thai boxing equipment field.

To view our full range of Top King Boxing Products Click Here

Like many of the Oriental martial arts Muay Thai has a history traceable back over centuries and previously was one of many systems used as a practical form of unarmed combat however unlike many martial arts of the orient it’s sporting pedigree is traceable back almost 500 years more similar in fact to its more western counterpart of Boxing also traceable back as a sport as far back as the 16^th Century.  These parallels with western boxing continue with modernisation beginning in the 19^th Century and culminating in a structured rule set being introduced in the 1920’s much like the famous Queensbury rules of 1867 in western boxing.

Muay Thai did not adopt boxing gloves until fights against foreign opponents started in the 1950’s and matches between Thais were still using traditional rope binding over the hands until the death of a fighter in the ring prompted the standardisation of using boxing gloves and cottons anklets over the feet; This was when the term “Muay Thai” separated from its older format “Muay Boran” which became more of an exhibition based traditional style than a combat sport.

Thai Boxing Gloves
As Thai boxing gloves started by adopting gloves from western boxing it is over time and with innovation specific to the two different sports that differences between Thai gloves and western boxing gloves have arisen.  It is within the style of fighting that the first clues to the differences can be found. In boxing the fists are the only weapon allowed and it is fairly common acceptance that the western form has the superior hand skill however in Muay Thai punching is only one of the many tools available to the fighter and often used to set up more powerful strikes from the legs and knees.  The Thai boxing glove requires greater flexibility in the wrist area especially to allow for clinch techniques therefore usually Thai gloves have shorter wrist cuffs than western boxing gloves.  The padding in Western gloves tends to be stiffer (although this is quite variable from brand to brand) arguably down to the sheer volume of hand strikes a western boxer will achieve in a round whereas the Thai counterpart will use less hand strikes in favour of kicks, knee strikes and elbows from the clinch.

In competition Thai boxing may use 8oz or 10oz gloves depending on the weight of the fighter which are generally of the lace up variety.  Whilst the western boxer favours lace up gloves much of the time in training too, the popularity of Velcro cuffed gloves for sparring has become the more popular choice in modern Thai boxing.

Types of Muay Thai Boxing Gloves
Just as with western boxing there are several different types and sizes of gloves basically split into three categories: Competition aka Fight gloves, Sparring aka training gloves and bag gloves or mitts. The choice of lace up or Velcro fastenings makes another variation the advantage of laces being longevity of the glove and also less cutting and scuffing for training partners especially in the clinch whilst the obvious advantage of Velcro fastening being the ease of getting the glove on and off.

Lace up Thai gloves are still broadly favoured by competitors and are usually compulsory at events above a certain level.

Gloves for sparring and training come in sizes of between 10oz (usually reserved for females and very light fighters) up to 18oz for super heavyweights with the average sparring glove being a 14 or 16 oz glove.

Bag gloves are a smaller and usually cheaper glove designed only for bag and pad training, many fighters prefer to use an old pair of boxing gloves for this purpose coupled with wraps for greater hand protection however using bag gloves can prolong the life of more expensive sparring gloves and is well worth some consideration.

Glove Innovations and styles
Unlike western boxing gloves there is a much more varied and colourful variance in the many designs and styles within the Thai boxing arena.  Manufacturers such as Twins Special, Top King and Fairtex all produce a wide range of colours, contrast tones and “fancy print” designs to appeal to the more flamboyant world of Muay Thai. Dragons, Tattoos, Thai flowers, flags and many other designs find their way onto the printed leather of the gloves  whilst more traditional manufacturers such as Windy and Boon make solid high quality but somewhat less fancy boxing gloves.

One recent innovation is the “Breathable” glove which first appeared in the UK via the manufacturer Topking.  The glove (later copied by Fairtex, Windy and Twins) features a layered strip of synthetic material across the palm which allows air to get to the hand compartment of the glove both whilst wearing it and when drying out after a session.  Although it cannot do anything other than weaken the structure of the glove overall the breathable innovation can increase the gloves comfort and longevity by avoiding the common issue of them rotting from the inside out due to not being dried properly between training sessions.

Ever wondered where MMA began? We give a brief insight into its' roots!

People think of mixed martial arts, or MMA, as a relatively new sport as the first real recognized MMA competition was the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) back in 1993. Although the modern version of MMA has such a short history, the roots of the sport are buried in ancient history.

The Greeks had a similar event called the Pankration, which was a fighting competition with only two rules – no biting and no eye gouging. In 648 B.C., the Pankration was incorporated into the original Olympics. The event was particularly brutal, in a day when brutality and cruel arena sports were common. It was not unusual to have many participants be maimed for life or even die by the end of the competition.

Since that time, there have been various events where the idea has been to pit one style against another, such as the 1887 bout between boxer John Sullivan and wrestler William Muldoon. Throughout the remainder of the 19th century, Bartitsu competitions were popular in England. This event would pit Asian versus European fighting styles. With the Asian cultures still considered strange and exotic, this was an unusual movement for the time period.

We see examples of mixed martial arts styles of competition cropping up all over the world in the first part of the 20th century. Judo was introduced to Brazil in about 1914, which was highly unorthodox, with the Japanese rarely sharing such things with any westerners. Mitsuyo Maeda, a Kodokan Judo master, taught Brazilian Carlos Gracie in gratitude for Gracie's father helping him with business. Carlos, in turn, taught his younger brother Helio the art and discipline of Judo.

A small man, Helio Gracie approached Judo with creativity and developed it into a style that focused less on strength and more on leverage. Gracie's new fighting style became known as Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Out of Jiu Jitsu came methods of using choke holds and joint locks to gain the upper hand over one's opponents.

The first of the Ultimate Fighting Competitions was partially founded by Helio Gracie's son, Rorion along with Americans Art Davie and Robert Meyrowitz. The event was held at the McNichols Sports Arena in Denver, Colorado and was broadcast live across the country via pay-per-view. Three of the first four events were won by another of Helio's sons, Royce.

The early competitions had few rules. There were no weight classes or time limits. Almost anything went, including headbutts, hair pulling and groin strikes. The public ate it up, as shown by the over 86,500 people who paid to see the live broadcast from the packed arena. However, some people found the no hold barred fighting to be too brutal. Spearheaded by Senator John McCain, who called MMA “human cockfighting” a movement began with the goal of getting the “new” sport banned.

Once McCain and his proponents succeeded in getting the UFC banned from pay-per-view and outlawed in many states, the fledgling organization came within a hairsbreadth of going bankrupt. In 2001, the company was bought by Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta. Since then, the sport has prohibited some of the earlier allowed moves, such as groin strikes, and added more regulation to make it more acceptable by the public.
Interested in MMA? The very best in MMA Shorts, Kickboxing Equipment and more is available from www.fightstoremma.com. Call 0191 230 3030 for more information!

One of the most celebrated and highly recognised BJJ brands in the world KORAL fightwear returns to Fightstoremma with avengence.  A large consignment of gear including the ever popular MKM competition gi, rashguards and a childrens range never before seen in the UK.

Watch this space for more news on this exciting Brazilian brand or click here to see the Koral range at Fightstoremma.com

Find us here!!!

Fightstoremma Ltd
22 Pink Lane
Newcastle
NE1 5DW

Pink lane is between Clayton Street and Neville Street and Opposite Central Station.  If you struggle t find us give us a call 0191 2303030.

We've recently had a few people mention they are still looking for us at the old address; mainly due to the fact Google Maps send you a postcard that takes weeks to arrive to verify the address change. It shall be done soon!

R.A.W. Digital Publishing are proud and excited to announce the launch of MMAPLUS Combat Sports & Lifestyle Magazine. For both male and female readers, MMAPLUS is a monthly digital publication that champions the UK MMA/Combat Sport scene and is designed to represent and indeed highlight the tremendous growth and success of MMA in the United Kingdom and the world as a whole. With Issue 1 now available for download, be sure to check out what will be the UK's hottest new publication.

The magazine focuses on the UK scene as well as providing coverage on an international level, spotlighting events in the US, Canada, Europe, Brazil, Japan and the rest of the world.

MMA PLUS Fight Magazine is distributed via iTunes, Android Market Place and other digital mediums in countries all over the world. Because of the magazine's of the digital format there will be no more reading a recently purchased magazine only to discover what you are reading content that is sometimes months out of date.

MMAPLUS Combat Sports & Lifestyle Magazine will cover events, fighters and behind the scenes information like no other publication. Readers can expect a colourful, as well as insightful publication with exclusive up to the minute content focusing not just on high profile personalities in the extreme combat world, but also those at grass root levels.

The features we run well be of the highest quality and are produced by an excellent team who are not just journalists but true MMA/combat sport fans who each have a genuine interest in this industry. These journalists and photographers will provide extensive coverage of events from around the world in order to produce a comprehensive and interactive magazine.

For more information on how to advertise in MMAPLUS or to get involved contact:

Roberto Reid
Editor
MMAPLUS Combat Sports & Lifestyle Magazine
Tel 07956790571
Twitter @MMAPLUS

Click on the banner to Buy Tickets for this EVENT NOW!!!

Fightstoremma is proud to be sponsoring four of this events top UK Fighters through our lead MMA Brand Revgear Sports.  Andrew Punshon, Dyson Roberts, Tony Moran and Ian Entwhistle.  We wish these fighters the best of luck and will be attending the UK's Top MMA event to show our support.

What we are certain will become the UK's favourite MMA Magazine's latest edition is out now. MMA Uncaged issue 6 features GSP, BAMMA 10, Andrew Punshon and the usual blend of great features, articles and photography. Check it out at http://www.mmauncagedmag.com/themagazine/issues/160-issue-6

MMA NEWSLINE

Snippets from the world of MMA

GEORGES ST-PIERRE

An in depth look at Georges St-Pierre and his career

MMA TALK

Alan Orr and Duane Harper take a look at the next contender, Lyoto ‘Dragon’ Machida

TUF: THE SMASHES

and loads more!!!